Operation Rogue
by BlahWithTheBlah
Summary: AU! "Doctor D'Ancanto, I'm Agent Phil Coulson and the agent next to you is Clint Barton of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division." he introduced them. He held out his hand and Marie gently shook it. "Wow, that's a mouthful and please," she replied with a small smile "call me Marie." a 20 year old Marie is recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D.
1. Chapter 1

I wish I owned something, but I clearly don't

Summary: Marie has always kept secrets. Ever since she was a chiled she'd had them and repressed them.  
When she leaves college as an acomplished woman, Marie's roomie Jess convinces her to go travel, but it doesn't tak long for it all to go to hell in a handbasket.

* * *

 **Oxford** , **Mississippi**

On a single bed, in a small dorm room sat a young woman. Her green eyes were glued to the pages of the book in her hands, while a small frown marred her forehead.  
Her long brown hair stood in contrast to the two white bangs that framed her face.

"Seriously?" The question surprised her and made the green eyed girl look up from her book and at her roommate.  
"What?" she responded to the girl standing in front of her. Her accent was thick and native to the state. The roommate in question only sighed in response.

She was a tall athletically built female, with wild and curly black hair, and accent that clearly showed that she wasn't a native mississippian.

"Marie, we are done with the reading! Tomorrow is graduation day." She laughed while she grabbed the book out of the southern girl's hands and threw it across the room.  
Then she pulled Marie by her gloved hands from the bed and shoved her gently in front of the mirror where two black robes hung.

"Feel it!" she ordered Marie. Marie choosing to indulge in her friend's insanity to avoid a falling out, grabbed the ugly robe in her hand. "  
Yeah, an' what's so special 'bout it, sugar?" Her friend only rolled her eyes. Only Marie would be graduating college and not really give a shit.

"Okay, try for a second to pretend that you're a normal person, and be excited! The ugly robes are our symbol of freedom. The torment is over, and in response to that we are going out drinking tonight… heavily so we can look our worst tomorrow when we receive our diplomas, as a protest to the suffering we've had to put up with for the last couple of years."

This time Marie rolled her eyes. "Jess, you do know that I'm still underage. I'm only 20."

"A-bub-bub-bub!" Jess raised her hand to Marie in objection. "That isn't going to work with me missy! That has never stopped us getting wasted in the past. Besides, I'm older than you and therefore I'm technically your older dorm-sister here, and it is my sworn duty as an older sister that I make sure that you not only get hammered but also grab a few good butts along the way. And it's not my fault that you started college as baby."

Marie walked back to her bed and threw herself on it dramatically.

"I wasn't a baby, I was sixteen. And maybe you should stop breakin' the law, now that you're a lawyer." She protested annoyed.

"Pot _ay_ to, pot _ah_ to." Jess dismissed her with a handwave. She sat down on the bed next to her younger roomie and gave her a serious look.

"Come on, what's this really about Marie. Don't go all goth on me now." She half joked while thinking back to the day she met her new roommate.

Marie had dressed in all black and dark green, looking all angsty, pale and pissed off. Those first couple of weeks together had not ended well.

Later they had come to an agreement of peace, and after some heavy drinking and kicking a too hands-on guys' ass they'd been as close as sisters.

"Is this because of your skin disease?" Jess asked her carefully while watching for her reaction. She knew Marie had some disease that left her very sensitive to the pressure against her skin.

Another small frown marred her forehead. "No… Yes.. And some other stuff." She said sounding confused even in her own ears.

"Talk to me." Jess pushed, because she knew it was the only way she would ever get a response from Marie.

Suddenly, Marie sat up and looked at her more seriously than Jess had ever seen her.

"Sugar, we both know that you came to Ole Miss because you were itchin' to get as far away as you could from your family. And I came here, because my parents thought it was the easiest way to get their daughter off their hands, without havin' to pay a dime." She said, angrily thinking about the scholarship she had been offered, and that her parents had forced her to _gratefully_ accept in order to get her out of town after the incident with Cody.

" _We're your parents, whether or not you are a monster is up to the great lord himself to decide, so we will be merciful towards you until your day of judgement. Until that day however, you_ will _cover yourself up completely. You_ will _accept the scholarship offer as we'd been plannin' before this mess started, and after that, you'll_ never _set foot in this town again."_

The memory of Marie's mother's angry voice was interrupted by Jess nudging her foot lightly.

"Yeah?" Jess asked her. Marie pushed the painful memory away into a dark corner of her mind.

"I can't go back home, and you're leavin' for that big lawyer job back home in Boston. And lets face it, I may be a prodigy here in Mississippi, but out there," she said referring to the rest of the states "I'm just a kid. Nothin' more and nothin' less. You saw how hard it was for me to even get that stupid internship. Nobody would or could take me seriously. If it hadn't been for the Dean getting involved I wouldn't have gotten one." Marie said angrily but it quickly turned into sadness. "I honestly don't know where t' go from here, an' it's freakin' me out."

Jess' eyebrows rose a bit in realization. Marie was without a home or job to go to. "Maybe you should just go live in the wilderness for a bit," Jess joked but she quickly became serious again.

"Look Marie, maybe you should see this as a once in a lifetime opportunity. You have the freedom to go where ever you like without anyone or anything holding you back." She said with a look of yearning that made it clear to Marie that was exactly what she herself wished for.

"Now I know you may not have a lot of money, so like I said last week, you're always welcome to crash at my place once I get finished moving in."

Jess stretched out her arms "Now come on, hug it out and lets get hammered." Marie rolled her eyes at her, but hugged her carefully anyways and smiled into Jess' shoulder.

* * *

 **Ole miss U, graduation day**

Marie stood in line with the other graduates waiting for it to be her turn to receive her diploma.

Her head was a pounding mess, her eyes bloodshot, but at least she could say that she wasn't the only graduate looking like hell.

Her eyes scanned the crowd in some stupid hope that her parents would be there on her big day, but after failing to locate them she just shook her head and ignored the the clenching feeling her heart gave her.

Her name was called, and she almost mechanically walked up stage, shook hands with people whose faces were familiar yet unknown and walked down again.

She stood in the back, a away from the crowd, thinking about her conversation with Jess the night before and realized that Jess was right.

Maybe she should go travel a bit.

Her bare hand clenched around the diploma. Now would be the perfect time to go look for others like her. People who were cursed too.

She knew logically that she couldn't be the only one, " _Whether or not you are a monster is up to the great lord himself to decide…"_ her mother's voice came back haunting her.

No, she shook her head to herself, she wasn't a monster and she'd be damned if she'd let anybody else tell her otherwise.

Something inside her just snapped and she knew what she had to do.

She slipped away from the rest of the ceremony unseen, and headed back to her shared dorm.

She stood in the doorway and looked around at all the small knick knacks that she and Jess had gathered over the years and sighed.

She grabbed a large duffel bag from the bottom of her closet and started packing all her clothing into it. Toiletries were next on her list. Cellphone and charger were important.

Just because she didn't have a family any more, it didn't mean she didn't have people she cared about ...meaning Jess.

She walked over to her bed and lifted the mattress.

Every single dollar she had managed to save over the course of the last five years was there in a wad. Not that it was a small amount.

She hadn't really ever told Jess that she had been granted two scholarships in total, when she came here.

One to cover for her education itself, and one she had convinced a different foundation to donate to her, for her needs with her research and living arrangements in school.

She counted the money. The total was nine thousand dollars. She was actually surprised at how much she had managed to save.

She changed out of the robes and formal clothes in exchange for some black pants, shoes, a white cotton t-shirt and her favorite black leather jacket.

She stuffed the money into the inside pocket of her jacket, and took a last glance around the dorm.

 _"Well one part of my life is over… and a new one begins, I guess."_ She took a small piece of paper and wrote a small letter to Jess.

She grabbed her duffel bag and walked out the dorm room for the last time.

Marie looked out on the parking lot. It looked like a million cars had parked.

She just needed to find the right one. Now she hadn't ever actually hot wired a car, but in theory it shouldn't be a problem for her.

She just needed to find a car that was in a blind spot, so the building security cameras didn't pick her up.

She studied the cameras for a bit, until she found it. And groaned out loud. _"Of course with my luck, there would be biker with his Harley in the blind spot. Probably waiting for one of his brats to finish up."_

Now Marie had two choices, one; she could wait until he left his bike but risk someone coming back from the ceremony and see her steal the bike.

Or two; she could go over there fake an emergency, and ask him to contact a member of the faculty while she steals his bike. _Why would you steal his bike Marie, you don't even know how to ride it…_ a male voice resonated in her head.

" _Shut up Cody! The last thing I need is your crazy voice questionin' me damn it!"_ Great, just what she needed. Marie thought she would have been freed from his voice after he woke up from his coma a couple of years ago, but apparently wasn't.

Marie shook her head and looked towards the sky praying for strength.

 _You could just touch him, you know shortly. That way you knock him out cold, and you'll know how to actually drive it… and I won't have to worry about us dieing less than two feet away from the crime scene._

Marie's facial expression mirrored her feeling of surprise. It was actually a pretty good idea.

 _Yeah, I do get those once in a while…_ Cody retorted sarcastically to her.

Marie only rolled her eyes at him. Then it was settled. She started making her way towards the fat biker.

One would probably assume that her past experience with her powers and Cody would leave a young Marie terrified of using them.

One would normally assume correctly, however having been in college for the better part of five years, gloveless most of the time, she had grown used to small touches and "accidents" as she liked to call them.

Besides whenever they had happened, people had never given her a second glance,but blamed the dizziness on the stress of being in college, and the many burdens and responsibilities that came with the life.

Marie had managed to grow a bit more accustomed to her curse, leaning to control it somewhat.

She was standing right behind the fat biker now. She pulled of her left glove and touched his neck fat lightly… He went out as a light.

She looked around again just to be sure nobody had seen.

No one had.

She pulled op "Tom's" memories of driving and quickly saddled up.

She gathered the helmet in her hands with a cautious look at it. _"Please don't be sweaty, please don't be sweaty, please don't be sweaty!"_ was her mantra before she put on the helmet…

She cringed.

It was sweaty.

Marie turned the key in the ignition, fired up the old Harley and sped out the parking lot like she was possessed without a second glance back and a specific destination in mind. _"Alaska."_

* * *

 **Kansas** **City**

Marie didn't know how long she had been driving, because every second of it felt exhilarating and exciting, and for the first time since she had been cursed she felt free.

But the day had eventually turned to night and she was getting really tired and hungry.

And it didn't really help that she was still nursing the hangover from the day before.

A big sign Welcomed her to Kansas City, and she slowed down as entered.

Her eyes were everywhere, taking in the sounds, colors and people.

Everything was big and open, the large green areas reminded her a bit home, but the city was so clean, she was almost surprised.

As Marie reached the city center she stopped the bike.

She looked around a bit until she found a small alleyway that could fit the bike and it there. Just in case the fat biker Tom had reported it stolen.

She walked around town, exploring what little she could while searching for a diner og something that was open 24/7. She walked past a few closed stores until she came across a Mcdonalds.

 _"Seriously… oh well hangover food is hangover food."_ She spent half the night eating like a pig in McDonald's and the other half sleeping with smile on her face in a small motel near by.

A cute and young officer had pointed her to it while shamelessly flirting with her.

His partner, a middle aged man just sighed and rolled his eyes at the two. The younger police officer was easy on the eyes, and what could she say, Marie was a natural flirt, touch or not.

And she was good at it if the small piece of paper with his number on it in her pocket, was any indication.

* * *

...


	2. Chapter 2

Another chapter! *Woop Woop*

* * *

It took another two days before Marie made it across the border and into Canada.

Marie had managed to land herself in the middle of nowhere if she was honest with herself.

She looked around the small truck stop, that she had left the un-comfort of the truck for, and she wasn't impressed.

She looked at the watch on her wrist, It was almost ten and she was starving.

There was a small dingy and gross bar a couple of feet away and it looked like it was her only chance to get some warmth and food from.

 _Yeah, how about we don't enter the biker palace where the potential of getting killed is three times higher than if we just lay on the ground and wait for a truck to run us over?!_ the panicked voice of Cody spoke out.

 _"How about you shut up,_ Marie started annoyed _"and l make sure we don't die of starvation."_ She imagined pushing him into a dark corner of her mind, and her mind was quiet after that.

She made her way into the dingy bar hoping that they would have something to eat besides germ-infested peanut bowls.

The inside of the bar was as horrible as the outside Marie thought dryly.

The light was dimmed and further in the back was a great metal cage where to men were beating the living lights out of each other.

She walked up to the bar. "Ya'll got any food around here?" she asked the old man behind the counter.

He looked her up and down in disdain before asking her "Ya got any money girly?" Marie barely managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

She pulled out a twenty and placed it on the counter in front of him.

"That food better be warm, and i'll have a beer - Molson - to go with that." she said before making her way to an empty booth and plopping down.

She looked around wearily wondering if entering this place had been a good idea at all. _"Oh well, as long as the creepers don't try make small talk with me I should be fine."_

Her attention was brought back to the cage when the whole room suddenly started cheering.

Apparently the shorter guy had managed to knock out the big burly guy.

She shook her head wondering why anybody would spend their time beating and getting the shit beaten out of them. _"Must be a guy thing."_

The old bartender placed her food and beer in front of her. _"Lo an' behold, the food is actually warm."_ she thought in surprise.

The bowl of hot chilli looked so inviting that she barely managed avoiding hitting the old man's hand with her fork before digging in.

He glared at her.

Marie felt like she hadn't eaten in days, which was probably why some of the people around her spared her a look of disgust as she practically inhaled her food.

 _"Either that or because they know the health hazards of eating here and I don't."_

After a while she started sipping at her beer when she suddenly had a weird feeling of being watched.

She casually looked around the bar hoping to find whoever it was but nobody was paying her any attention.

 _"Well time to leave the creeper station behind."_ she thought awkwardly while getting up.

 _Finally! You'd think you would've taken my advice before you walked in here Marie._ The annoying and miffed voice of Cody supplied in her mind.

Marie rolled her eyes before calmly walking out the bar. Once outside she hurried along the way to the truck stop.

She didn't have many choices at hand, having exchanged the bike she'd stolen for a ride in a truck across the border.

 _"Most truck driver are either drunk now, or expecting a lil' somethin' for their troubles."_ she thought annoyed.

It severely limited her choices. She looked out to the trees and forest that surrounded the truck stop.

She barely had any time to register the large being that smashed her into the forest before pain erupted everywhere.

 _"Fuck!"_ she thought as tears of pain blurred her vision. She was on the ground staring up at the man or animal or whatever it was that stood in front of her.

It was hairy and it's teeth were unlike anything she had ever seen.

Her eyes finally cleared and she notice the claw-like nails on its hands.

Fear gripped her heart and she didn't dare look away from it.

It smirked at her and growled seemingly noticing her paralyzing fear. B

efore it could take another step towards her, a loud gunshot echoed through the trees before being followed by another five.

The large blond creature suddenly froze before falling to the ground with a heavy thump it's back filled with six small darts.

Marie was still paralyzed on the ground, eyes wide as saucers, before her rescuer gripped her gloved hand and pulled her to a run.

Her rescuer, a blonde haired man, armed only with the gun was running with a destination in mind. _"Oh fuck! Oh fuck! Oh fuck!"_ was the mantra that repeated itself in her mind, while the shock of having been attacked still coursed through her body.

They suddenly came to a stop in front of a big black SUV.

Her rescuer opened the door and pushed her inside. "Wait! Where are we going?" She finally managed to blurt out through her panic.

Her rescuer looked at her seriously before jumping inside the car next to her. "To safety." He said shortly and the car raced out of the truck stop.

It was only then Marie realised that there was somebody behind the wheel, a man in a suit who very much looked like the stereotypical man in black agent.

"What the hell is going on!" she asked the blonde man next to her.

The question was a catalyst for the seemingly millions of questions that followed. Who was he? What was the creature that attacked her? Where were they taking her? and so on.

The canadian landscape blurred passed the toned windows and the silence in car didn't help calm her a bit.

She figured that since they had just saved her from whatever it was that had attacked her, she would give them the benefit of the doubt.

She glanced at her rescuer and studied his looks.

 _"Not too shabby lookin'."_ she thought surprised and a small blush tinged her cheeks.

He was handsome, with his dark blonde hair and blue eyes. He was clearly older than her, maybe in his early to mid thirties, but his body was strong and well muscled - he clearly worked out vigorously.

His arms were especially well trained she noted.

He noticed her looking him up and down and smirked at her. Marie blushed, and looked out the window ignoring him in her embarrassment of having been caught staring.

She didn't know how long they had been driving, but they finally came to a stop.

She looked out the window and realised they had stopped inside a giant plane. _" I really need to start taking more notice of things around me."_ She thought annoyed at her own seemingly missing sense of awareness.

Her nameless rescuer got out of the car and held out a hand to help her out.

She crossed her arms and ignored his hand while giving him an annoyed look.

He only smiled at her said "You'll be briefed about the situation if you come with me."

 _"That smile was the kind of smile that momma always used to warn me about."_ she thought and against her better judgment Maries curiosity won out.

She let him help her out of the car. _"Briefed…. Looks like I was right 'bout the men in black theory."_ She reflected.

A new man in a suit was seemingly waiting for them further ahead in the plane's cargo room.

 _"Man, if the guy who drove us here was a MIB, this guy has to be the super suit running it all."_ She thought jokingly.

He looked so normal and kind, but she noticed a small glint in his eyes that clearly said he could do a lot of damage to someone if they pissed him off. He kind of threw her off a bit.

 _"_ _He reminds me a bit of uncle Louie."_ She held back a snort at that thought.

"Doctor D'Ancanto, I'm Agent Phil Coulson and the agent next to you is Clint Barton of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division." he introduced them.

He held out his hand and Marie gently shook it. "Wow, that's a mouthful and please," she replied with a small smile "call me Marie." Phil nodded at her.

"I know a lot has happened to you the last twenty-four hours, but i hope you're up for a small briefing." Marie knew it wasn't really a question but a request.

"Sure, I'd like to know as to why I was attacked." she said a bit quietly.

They led her up a small stairway and into a small office. _"Seriously, how big is this plane?"_ she thought a bit exasperated.

She sat down in small chair and next to her Agent Barton followed.

Behind the desk Agent Coulson pulled out some files and handed them to her.

The picture on the first page was of the creature that had attacked her. There was a name next to it that read Victor Creed a.k.a. Sabretooth.

She looked up from the file to Agent Coulson.

"So, this Sabretooth was the one who attacked me." Marie said looking a little pale, and Agent coulson nodded. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has had various run ins with Creed over the course of many years, he works as a contract killer," he stated and Marie felt bit sick in her stomach. "since then he's teamed up with a terrorist organization known as the Brotherhood of Mutants."

"Because of what he is. A .. Mutant?" _"Is that what I am too? A mutant…"_ she wondered, finally receiving small glimpse of the answer she had been searching for since she was sixteen.

Another nod from the Agent. "Exactly. There had been some talk and there were rumors flying around that the leader of the Brotherhood, Erik Lehnsherr also known as Magneto, is building some kind of machine that he's going to use to kill off some of the world leaders unless they surrender to him." He continued.

"Sorry, but I still don't see what any of this has to do with me." she told him.

 _"Do agent Barton and Coulson know I'm a mutant? Do they think I have something to do with the machine?"_ Marie worried but she kept her facial expression as neutral as she could.

"Apparently," Agent Barton started "Magneto needs you to finish his machine. Seemingly there aren't enough criminal masterminds with Phds in Engineering out there." this was followed by a eye roll from Barton.

 _Maybe you should tell this Magnet guy that you're not really smart at all, that everything you know you've taken from other people. He just might leave you alone._ Cody voice piped up. _"Not now Cody!"_ Marie replied angrily, when Cody brought up her deepest secret.

She buried him deep inside her mind not wanting to think about the "incident" from her childhood.

"Look," Marie said returning her attention to the two agents "if ya'll afraid I'm gonna start helping the magnet man with his machine of doom, you've got nothin' to worry 'bout. I'm not really in the business of helping megalomaniacs with their evil plotting."

Agent Barton snorted.

"You won't really have choice in the matter if Magneto gets a hold of you." He said raising an disbelieving eyebrow at her.

This time Marie rolled her eyes at Barton. "There are like a thousand or more engineers he can choose from and kidnap, so why me? Why am I so special?" She asked them frustrated.

 _"Magneto can't possibly know I'm a mutant, I barely know if I'm a mutant, and its been kept under wraps for so long… Is that why he wants me? … He couldn't know… Could he?"_ Marie thought as a small headache made its way.

Agent Coulson frowned "We were hoping you could tell us. We don't understand his obsession with a twenty year old genius girl either, but we do know he isn't going to stop look for you."

 _"Great, just great."_ Marie let out a sigh.

"And what do you want me to do 'bout that? I'm not gonna' hide inside a room for the rest of my life in fear of what might or might not happen."

Agent Coulson smiled and Marie couldn't help but feel like she had stepped into a trap.

"We're not asking you to," He said still smiling and Marie couldn't help glance at Agent Barton and see him looking as nonchalant as ever.

"Which is why S.H.I.E.L.D. would like to offer you a position in our Research & Development department."

Marie shook her head at him disbelievingly "You wanna' offer me a job? Here? In a secret government organization? Why?"

Agent Barton looked at her as if she just said santa wasn't real.

"You're young and brilliant, so you fit the criteria of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s recruitment standard." He said.

Agent Coulson continued "Your work is quite innovating and unorthodox I've been told by our head of R&D, and also, this way we'll be able to keep you safe from Magneto's clutches."

Marie contemplated the offer for a moment _"They could keep me safe… and it's a government facility, they would have information on these mutants…"_ She looked up at Agent Coulson a bit hesitant.

"I'm not sure… Honestly I never really wanted to be or work as an engineer, " she admitted and she saw the surprise on the two agents faces.

"it's just the road i sorta ended up on, but I'll give it a shot until this Magneto guy stops the witch hunt for me." She agreed hesitantly.

 _Well at least we'll have food and hot water here._ Cody said contented with the outcome of the situation.

"I'm glad." Coulson supplied honestly before pulling out a major stack of papers and files.

"This is your contract, please read it, remember it, sign it and bring it back to me.

Your pay will be agreed on with our head of R&D, also food and boarding will be provided to you and the R&D you'll be working for will start you out with smaller project before clearing you for the bigger ones." Coulson nodded at Barton who stood up.

"Clint will take you to get you an ID and temporary room. He'll also give you the run-down of S.H.I.E.L.D. We'll be heading out soon to our base," He informed her "If you have any questions don't hesitate in asking me or Clint if I'm not around." Marie nodded at waterfall of information slapped in her face.

Barton walked out the door and Marie struggled to keep up with him, arms filled with what felt like a million papers.

* * *

:-)


	3. Chapter 3

Warning: This chapter contains dark themes ... do not read if you are a gentle soul..

* * *

The small sleeping space was exactly what Marie had needed.

Her head had been spinning from two and a half hours of playing tourist and a thousand questions with Barton.

The moment her head hit the memory-foam mattress and pillow she had been out cold. That had been around one a.m.

So it was with a great groan and reluctance she got out of the bed wrapped up in a duvet cocoon to answer the hammering on her door.

The door slid open and revealed Barton.

"What?" she snapped at him.

Barton looked at her and chuckled.

"Ya'll better have damn good reason to wake me up at," she looked at her wristwatch "six thirty in the morning! Barton!" She groaned at him. Marie wanted to smack that annoying grin of his face.

"I do have a damn good reason, governor" he said in the worst southern accent he could muster and Marie winced.

"I was bored. Besides we'll be landing in an hour so you should probably get ready." he chuckled at her again when she blew away a white stripe of hair from her eye.

Once she was ready, Marie came out to see Barton waiting for her.

He held out a sandwich and apple juice for her, and her duffel bag in the other hand.

She felt bad for having snapped at him earlier.

"Don't you have some secret agent stuff to do besides babysitting me?" she looked at him wondering why he was wasting his time around her.

"Nah," he said as they walked towards the cargo room. Marie ate the sandwich and nearly moaned. It was that good.

"My mission was to stop Creed from getting his paws on you, since I've done that I don't really have anything else to do until further notice. Besides, admit it, you love my company." He grinned at her happily.

"Yeah as much as I'd love an aneurysm too." She muttered rolling her eyes at him and Barton laughed.

They reached the cargo room and waited for the plane to land. "So this base we're going to, is that where I'll be working?" she asked him curiously.

Barton shrugged "Maybe, S.H.I.E.L.D has R&D's all over the world, and newbies don't typically start out on the helicarrier. But with Coulson having hired you, you'll never know. That man has a finger in a lot of pieholes." He finished grinning when Marie exclaimed an "Ew!"

"Horrible and disgusting metaphor Barton," Coulson said shaking his head sneaking up on them from seemingly nowhere, while not looking bothered by the agent's remark.

"Sorry Boss." Barton replied not sounding sorry at all and still grinning.

"But to answer your question Marie, yes you'll be working on the helicarrier. I pulled some strings, firstly because of your safety (Sabretooth won't be able to get to you on a helicarrier) and secondly because Tim Jones, our head of R&D want to discuss some of your research papers and what not and he's stationed here." Coulson stated while fiddling with something on a touch pad.

A small thump shook through the plane as it landed causing Marie sway unsteadily, while the two agent were unfazed by it.

"Here being?" she asked him. He only nodded his head towards the exit as the cargo door lowered itself.

Marie walked outside looking gobsmacked. several quinjets lined up on a massive landing pad. The endless sea surrounded them as the wind rather violently whipped around them.

"Seriously?!" she yelled at the two agent over the noise of the wind and the plane with a bright smile lighting up her face "This is where I'll be working?!"

Coulson nodded at her and the two agents smiled at her young enthusiasm.

Marie barely refrained herself from jumping up and down.

"That's not the best part!" Barton yelled at her. Suddenly everything shook until she realized that they were starting to ascend towards the sky. _"We're flying…"_ she thought shocked.

Barton pulled her towards an entrance where she could see Coulson had already made his way through.

The inside Marie had to admit was as impressive as the out side.

Various levels, rooms and offices lined the hallways. "Barton, take her to Jones' office and join me and the Director afterwards." Coulson told him and Barton nodded.

It took five minutes to get there but Marie was sure that if she had to get back again it would take her a hour at least.

She stood in front of the door that said Tim Jones, R&D.

Barton nodded at her worried "You okay?" she gave him a small smile "Yeah sugar, I just feel like I'm 'bout to be interviewed for a job that I have no qualification for."

He placed a hand on her jacket covered shoulder and squeezed lightly. "You'll be fine, besides" he grinned "You've already been hired. I'll be back for you when I finish with Coulson and Director Fury." She nodded at him and knocked on the door.

Barton left her without a look back.

A yell of enter replied and Marie gathered what confidence she had and walked inside.

A old bald and fat man sat behind the desk and her first impression of Tim Jones was that she wasn't impressed with him.

He looked at her, leering at her body with a sleazy smile "What do you want girl?" And so began the most annoying conversation of her life.

* * *

 **1 hour later**

Clint stood outside Jones' office and waited for Marie to finish her meeting with Jones.

He knew she would be pissed when she left. It wasn't a secret that Tim Jones was the oldest and biggest sleazeball that S.H.I.E.L.D had employed.

Unfortunately he was also one of the most brilliant minds they could find so they had to put up with him.

Clint liked Marie, she was young, brilliant and sarcastic. And she had a great sense of humor. But there was something about her he couldn't put his finger on.

She would sometimes have this worry in her eyes, before shaking it off. The comment back on the BUS that she hadn't ever wanted to be a engineer didn't sit right with him either.

" _What kind of person spends five years of their life studying something they have no interest in?"_ he wondered perplexed. He would keep his eyes on her, she may trust him (and he was happy she did) but he didn't trust her yet.

And neither did Coulson.

The both of them and Director Fury had all agreed that anyone who Magneto had their eyes on, had more to them than they let on. He really hoped the girl was what she presented herself as.

A small ping came from his pocket and Clint pulled out his phone to see a message from Natasha.

" **How's the babysitting coming along?"**

Clint smiled and shook his head, he could practically hear the teasing tone in her voice.

" **Better than expected… She reminds me a bit of a young russian girl I had to babysit several years ago…**

 **Same attitude and all. When are you coming home?"** Clint replied knowing she would roll her eyes at his reply.

It took a moment before another text pinged on his phone, and he looked up at the door beginning to worry a bit.

" **Sounds exhausting for an old man like you… Now I really have to meet her. Already on my way, should be there by sundown."**

He sent a quick reply to her and watched as the door to Jones' office opened and Marie walked out with a… smile?

She started walking down the hall looking at him expectantly. Clint was still in shock - he was expecting a inferno of anger and rage coming off her.

He looked inside the office to make sure she hadn't killed Jones.

The old sleazeball sat behind his desk completely pale and shaking. "You okay Jones?" Clint asked with a morbid curiosity behind his eyes.

"I.. I…" The noises coming from Jones' mouth were high pitched and ended with a furious nod as the man couldn't even form a word.

Clint left the office closing the door behind before running to catch up with Marie.

She still had a smile on her face when he caught up with her.

"Everything went okay with Jones?" he asked looking at her worriedly.

"Just peachy, we came to a mutual agreement on my employment." Marie replied suddenly smirking.

"Anyways, is there a cafeteria around here because I'm starving." Clint nodded still in shock of seeing Jones so helpless and pathetic, but still managed to lead them down to the cafeteria.

* * *

Three days after the Jones incident Marie was given her first assignment. The giddiness she felt when she was handed a file quickly died down.

According to the Jones look-a-like number one (Peter McGuiness) who worked the lab she had been located to, she would primarily be doing research.

Marie hated paperwork. She seriously hadn't finished her Phd so that she could do low level research papers.

If she was going to work here she wanted to at the least build something.

But beggars couldn't be choosers, so Marie bit back the many swear words that came to mind and started reading through the file. The work was boring and easy, and she finished within two hours.

When she asked if there was anything else she could do, McGuiness looked at her in surprise, but shook his head no and gave her the rest of the day off. It continued like that for the next two weeks.

With nothing better to do after having been given permission to leave early, yet again she thought, Marie decided to hit the gym.

Dressed in a pair of all black tights, a long sleeved, tight dark blue gym shirt and a pair of black nike shoes she entered the gym.

Her hands were bare and had been since she had gotten settled on helicarrier. She didn't want to attract attention to her condition, and avoiding accidental touches were easy.

Government official and un-officials were not keen to having their personal space invaded by anybody, and avoided doing the same to others. It all worked in Marie's favor. The gym was bustling with life, but not overly crowded.

There were several boxing rings along the end of the wall but only one was being used.

A redheaded woman was kicking the ass of some younger looking agent guy whose friends had gone from cheering to wincing and looking away in fear,when the woman kept beating the shit out of him.

 _"That'll teach him.."_ She thought shaking her head before making her way the small group. The closer she got the more she could see the pissed of look of the woman.

"What did he do to piss her off?" Marie asked one of the guys that winced as the redhead smashed her knee into his stomach and Marie followed suit with a wince of her own.

The guy with the black hair didn't turn to her unable to tear his eyes from the beating his friend was receiving, but answered her.

"He was talking about how he could easily take on the Black Widow, no trouble, and that she would be more useful on her knees than in the field.

She just so happened to overhear him, and here we are."

"How long has she been at it?" The guy was a bloody mess by now. "Shouldn't anybody … stop them. He'll need medical." she said to the guy again.

This time the guy turned and looked at her.

He smiled at her "Nobody here is suicidal. By the way I'm Jack Foster." He nodded at her and she smiled back "Marie, and just because ya'll wimps, doesn't mean I am." She said shaking her head before walking closer to the ring.

The men took a step away from her realising what she planning.

Her heart was beating like crazy, but she couldn't let the Widow kill this guy no matter how much he deserved it.

"No offence, but I really think you should let him go before you kill him" She said and the Widow glared at her not letting go of the choke hold she had the idiot in.

"Look," Marie began with false calmness "I get why you wanna kill him, and if I could, I would gladly help beat the shit out of the chauvinist asshole any day of the week - not that you need help, clearly - but I'm pretty sure killing off agents, no matter how young and dumb they are, is a big no-no even in S.H.I.E.L.D.s book." She defiantly held the Widow's glare.

Her heart was beating out of control while she was praying to whatever deity was out there that the Widow wouldn't start beating her ass too.

 _You always have get involved in other people's' problems Marie._ She could hear the condescending tone i Cody's voice.

For a moment Marie thought it wasn't going to work, but the Widow tightened her hold for a second before letting go of the chokehold.

The guy fell to the floor of the boxing ring with a loud thump that echoed in the gym. The Widow pushed past her angrily and left the gym.

The silence in the gym continued as the people around her stared at her as if she was crazy.

It wasn't just the immediate group of guys around her, but the rest of the people in the gym too.

She felt annoyed before barking out a order for them to get their friend to medical, and they hurried to obey.

People went back to what they were doing though still glancing at her now and again.

Jack followed her as she stepped up on a treadmill. "You got balls of steel for a junior agent." Jack said and a lot of people nodded while others listened interested to their conversation. Marie smirked at him "Sorry to disappoint sugar, but I'm not a agent."

He looked at her disbelievingly "No way you're not, what are you then?" he demanded. Marie put one of the earbuds of into her ear "R&D." She grinned at him.

The other earbud followed and she turned on her music. She started running and Jack walked away.

Jack and the rest of the gym stared unbelievingly at her.

A young girl from R&D had stood up to the Widow when none of them, not senior nor junior agents had dared to.

* * *

Later that night when she was sprawled on her bed in a pair of sweats and hoodie, someone knocked on her door.

"It's open!" she called out and Clint leaned on the doorway to her small bedroom. He was wearing a weird black and purple uniform.

Marie wasn't going to question why he was carrying a bow and several arrows on his back. He raised his eyebrow at the small chaos of clothes on the floor.

"How do you have so much clothing lying around? Seriously, you came here with one duffel bag. one!" He exasperated while gesturing at the floor with his hand.

Marie rolled her eyes before grinning "Sorry dad, I'll clean it all up if you promise not to ground me." she sassed back at him.

This time Clint rolled his eyes. "You wanna grab something to eat?" he asked her.

She agreed while putting her hair up in a messy bun.

"Good," he turned around grinning slightly "Natasha will be joining us. See you in ten down stairs." Marie's head felt like it snapped as she looked up at where Clint had stood not a second before. " _Fuck..." Fuck…_ Cody agreed wholeheartedly.

 _"She wouldn't kill me? Not when Clint is there…"_ somehow the thought did nothing to reassure her.

After having changed attire to a pair of skinny jeans and a long sleeved shirt, Marie had made her way down to the cafeteria in record time, piling up a plate with couple of slices of pizza making her way to an empty table.

At the corner of her eye she caught Jack smile at her and give her a wave from a couple of tables away.

She was about to wave back when Clint and Widow ceremoniously dumped their trays on the table in front of her, blocking her view of Jack.

They were both wearing civilian clothes.

Marie looked a nervously at Widow. Her face would have been unreadable if it hadn't been for the small, almost microscopic, twitch of her lips.

But Marie saw it and understood it as a sign that they were good. "Natasha this is Marie, Marie - Natasha." Clint introduced them. _Not that you'd need a introduction - the lady is crazy._ Quipped Cody from inside her mind. She didn't know how to respond "We've made our acquaintance already." Natasha said her lips still upturned.

Clint looked between the two of them. "Aw Nat," he began teasingly "The moment I'm away you try to replace me." A small snort escaped Natasha "If only it had worked." Marie couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her. "Nat you wound me!" he replied clutching at his heart.

"Good" Was the response he received. Clint shook his head smiling "So Marie, how's R&D treating you?" Natasha raised an eyebrow "You're R&D?" she asked but without the disbelief that had been directed at her earlier today from Jack.

 _"Maybe she just hides it better than everyone else."_

"Yup," she popped the p "And to answer the question - it's - excuse my language - fucking boring. Jones Clone number 1 is only having me do low level research - a complete waste of my time by the way - because he doesn't like doing it himself." She complained.

Clint frowned. "I could have Coulson talk with McGuinness to give you something to tinker with." He then offered.

"Nah," Marie replied smirked "I'll deal with him on my own time." "Should I warn McGuinness upfront? After your talk with Tim Jones I'm not sure I can leave him to that experience in good conscience." He said while Natasha looked at her curiously.

"What happened to Jones?" A male voice interrupted as a new person joined their table right next to her.

Marie could barely stop herself from embarrassing herself by drooling. _"Definitely a hunk! thank you God for surrounding me with these good looking men!"_ She thought happily.

He was buff and blonde and blue eyed. _"Man S.H.I.E.L.D really knows how to find these guys. They must have a radar for the all-american types."_ a small huff from inside her mind let her know that Cody was making his displeasure known.

"That's what I'd like to know too," Clint said shaking his head slowly

" So, first day here and I'm taking Marie here to her meeting with Jones. In the meantime I have my own, and it's no secret that Jones is the biggest sleazeball S.H.I.E.L.D could have hired, Steve " at this both Natasha and Steve nodded in agreement

"I kid you not," He said looking impressed and smiling like an idiot "I come back and see Marie walking out the door of his office with a smile, so I of course had to make she hadn't done a Natasha and killed off the old geezer," At this Natasha punched Clint in the arm but he continues smiling full blown.

"I look inside his office, and he's in his ugly leather chair, you know the one that stinks of old cigarettes and fat-man sweat, shaking like a chihuahua, so I ask him if he's okay, and the man can't even form a sentence. His voice the highest pitch I've ever heard, and he just nods his head. I swear he was almost crying."

Now Clint was laughing at the memory while the other occupants took in the skinny twenty year old. Natasha's eyes held just teeny tiny bit of respect for her and Steve look at her amused.

"And I still don't know what you did Marie. Please tell me!" Clint begged in between laughs.

Marie shook her head a bit before smiling at him. "He was beein' a creeper an' I made it clear to him, that it was no way to treat lady, 'specially a lady from the south. My momma didn' raise me t' tolerate that kind of behavior from anyone." She replied her accent coming out a big thicker in her embarrassment.

Steve turned to her smiling "As it should be, I'm glad someone finally said something to him. I had the displeasure of meeting Jones once and lets just say I haven't stepped foot at R&D again."

Marie looked around them one by one. "Can I ask you guys something?"

They nodded "How old are you? I mean you all seem pretty young considering you've all probably been in this business for some time." Natasha snorted, Clint laughed and Steve looked a bit uncomfortable she noted. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to." she reassured them.

Natasha shook her and started "I'm thirty-two." Marie nodded,she had been guessing the redhead was around the early thirties.

She took a sip from her bottle of water "I'm forty five." Clint said and Marie choked on her water. She could barely breathe and Steve hit her on her back gently. "You okay?" He asked her concerned as he tried to hand her a paper towel.

She ignored the offered towel staring shocked at Clint "Oh my god Clint! You're so old!" she exclaimed loudly. Clint exclaimed a "Hey!" looking affronted. "Yeah Clint," Natasha grinned "You're so old…. Old man." She laughed at the sour look on his face as she teased him.

"Careful Clint, you might get a heart attack, in your age you're in the danger zone." She wiggled her eyebrows at him and even Steve laughed full heartedly.

Marie blushed. "I didn't mean it like that!" she tried defending herself "It's just, you look so young." she said

"And act like a five year old," Natasha added still grinning before turning to Marie "I can understand your confusion."

Marie groaned "Never mind." she said giving up but enjoying the good natured humour.

Clint still looked at her like she had betrayed him before turning to Steve. "I don't know why you're laughing soldier, you're the oldest one here." He exclaimed looking pleased when Marie exclaimed a disbelieving "No!"

Steve nodded at Marie sadly but said nothing.

"That's not possible. I refuse to believe you older than Mr. ready-for-diapers over here." At that Natasha let out full blown laugh causing some of the other people in the cafeteria looking over in concern and shock.

Clint glared at her before saying "He's Captain America." as if that would explain to her how he was older than Clint.

She looked at them in confusion "So… that means... what exactly?"

Steve looked at her relieved for some reason while Clint looked shocked that she had no idea what that meant.

Natasha just shook her head at her.

"You know," Clint continued "Captain America? His Howling Commandos? World War two? Did you not grow up learning this in school?"

She looked at him with a blank look.

"I skipped high school in case it slipped your notice. You know, phd, twenty years old, working for S.H.I.E.L.D and so on." She replied to him looking at him as if he'd hit his head and told her she had tentacles.

"I honestly wouldn't know if it was something I was supposed to learn in high school." she turned to Steve and he sighed before explaining her his life story.

By the time he had finished the cafeteria was almost empty.

"Wait, how old were you when you crashed into the ice?" Marie asked him.

"Twenty-seven, why?" Steve asked.

She exclaimed a victorious Ha! before explaining "That actually makes you the youngest of the three! You're twenty-eight now. All those years under the ice don't count because you weren't conscious to experience them, and you came out again as a twenty-seven year old. In conclusion to this story: Clint is a very old man!" Marie laughed at Clint's pouty expression as did Steve and Natasha.

They made their way out of the cafeteria. "Anyways I'm beat," She said "I'm gonna head to bed." She said and Clint's eyes lit up "I maybe a old man, but you're just a baby here!" He yelled after her she walked away.

He could see her shoulders shake from laughter.

* * *

The next month was boring to Marie. Her golden trio as she had started to call them in her mind (after having found and borrowed a copy of Harry Potter from McGuinness' office) had all been shipped out on missions.

So she spent her time between researching for McGuinness and his lab partner and working out in the gym.

Sometimes Jack would join her either in the gym or at lunch, (And she learned he was actually a senior agent, not a junior - thank you very much) but he was pulled away soon after by a blonde junior agent with a heart shaped face who would give Marie the stinky eye whenever she saw her.

 _"Yeah, I'm not getting in the middle of that."_ She thought and Cody agreed.

Some things were better left un-meddled with.

Marie felt like she would go crazy if wasn't given something _to do_. So she walked up to McGuinness and told him in her sweetest voice that if he didn't give her a project she would start testing their projects on _them_. After that, he had given her free reign on the available projects.

She ignored the way his voice shook when he replied.

She looked at five different project that no one had started on yet.

Three of them she admitted to herself were to advanced to be worked on alone so she left them to McGuinness.

The last two files she read through a couple of times, before brainstorming on how to proceed.

As her mind focused on the tasks she set, she closed her eyes for a moment. To anyone else looking at her they would think she was resting her eyes.

But she wasn't, Marie searched the darkness of her mind before opening her eyes with a small smile.

She started drawing, designing and calculating.

She'd been doing it for so long that she barely registered when McGuinness and his partner leaving.

Another hour passed unnoticed by her as she started listing possible materials. _"Yeah, this should work.."_ she said as she looked at her plans. She looked at the clock on the wall.

 _"Two a.m… I'm not tired yet, I could begin working on the wiring and then start molding the cast for it."_ she thought rolling her shoulders a bit.

Marie worked furiously on her project all through the night, and the next day and night.

She had only been interrupted once, when Coulson had stopped by to clear her for her projects and some of the more classified knowledge she would be needing.

He had forced her to nap in the lab when she refused to go to her room to sleep.

He'd rolled his eyes at her and later came back with a sandwich and bottle of water.

On the third day though she was "... looking like crap". Or at least that's what the voice behind her said.

She turned away from the wires on her arm and saw Clint and Steve look at her.

Her arm was covered in small wires attached to a battery on the desk which led back into a small square metal plate that held a small computer chip in it.

The plate was only held onto her arm with small strips of velcro.

She snorted "Thanks Clint, you're quite the charmer." she replied sarcastically before realizing who was standing in front of.

"You're back!" She let out happily before attacking the two in a group hug pulling the battery of the table with her. She laughed before placing it back.

"You have no idea how boring this place is with out my favorite ol' man." Clint laughed and replied happily "She must be talking about you Steve.".

Steve only shook his head with a smile on his face. "Coulson sent us down to check on you. What are you working on?" Steve asked her concerned.

He could see the purple bags under her eyes, and she seemed a bit pale. While not very concerning, Coulson had informed them that she hadn't been seen in almost three days, before he'd personally left to check on his young recruit.

Marie shook her head "I finally had my talking with McGuinness. I used my sweet voice and he let me work on whatever i want." She grinned and Clint only shook his head in amusement.

"Course you did."

Marie turned back to Steve "It's actually something for you." He looked surprised "Really?" She nodded before explaining

"It's actually Natasha's idea. Apparently she's tired of picking up your shield after you throw it around, so she requested we make you ... " she thought of a way she could explain it to a man who didn't know a lot engineering. "A giant magnet if you will."

"A magnet." Clint said unimpressed crossing his arms. "Yeah sugar" She said looking at him as if he was idiot before returning her attention to Steve again.

"What's so special about this magnet is you'll be able turn it on and off with a small command of your hand. Also, it'll only pick up on your shield specifically because of the rarity of the vibranium. But it's nowhere near done yet." She said and Steve nodded.

It did sound extremely handy.

She handed a long arrow to Clint. He looked at it oddly, instead of blades on its tip it had small cylinder attached.

Marie smirked at him "E.M.P arrow." she said watching his eyes grow big. "No way!" he said looking between the arrow and Marie nodded "Way." she replied.

"You are the coolest person ever… Don't tell Nat I said that." She chuckled "Deal. Steve?" she said looking at him.

"Well," he said "If it's nowhere near done you wont mind us kidnapping you for dinner." he said smiling while embracing her in a bear hug from behind holding her arms out as Clint removed the velcro straps from her arms.

"Hey! Be careful with that!" she exclaimed in concern, not because of the device, but because of her uncovered hands. While there was a minor calmnessaound the use of her powers and control, she didn't trust herself completely yet.

Steve turned her around and marched her out the door of the lab with Clint hot on their heels.

The helicarrier shook lightly while they were eating.

In the almost two months Marie had been on the carrier they had been airborne, it would seem they were finally landing somewhere.

"Where are we landing?" She asked the two and they shrugged. "No idea, but if it's Hawaii again i'm not gonna complain." Clint grinned. Steve shook his head "It's probably D.C. I think Fury had some business at the Triskelion.

"10 bucks?" Clint challenged him and Steve chuckled "You're on."

Jack chose to walk by them that exact moment "You're both wrong," He said looking arrogantly at the older agent and captain "We're in New York." he looked at Marie. "We're gonna be land bound a couple of days, wanna play tourist with me tonight? I hear they have a beer museum where you can sample all the different beers."

Marie grinned "Sure. Is eight okay?" He nodded "I'll meet you outside by the staircase." He left and Marie turned back to the Steve and Clint, losing the smile on her face. "What?" She asked defensively noticing their looks. "What?" she asked again narrowing her look at them.

Steve looked a bit put out and Clint shook his head. "I don't like that kid… He rubs me the wrong way. Besides, you're underage you're not allowed to drink beer." Marie rolled her eyes "You're saying that to a girl who started college at sixteen, and I didn't think I'd need your permission. Jack is a good friend, so I'd like it if the two of you could stop glaring at him." she replied with a small glare at them before leaving them to their lonesome.

Marie had some time to spare before her outing with Jack _"Because it's definitely not a date." Yeah it is Marie, you can't deny it. It's a date..._ Cody annoyed her. Having Cody in her head was like having her own personal annoying game commentator.

The fact that Cody was stuck at sixteen in her head didn't really help the situation. He was so whiny.

 _I heard that!_ he said offended,

 _"You were meant to!"_ she sang mockingly in her mind.

She looked through the small closet and sighed. She'd have to do some shopping tomorrow when she had the opportunity.

She grabbed whatever looked like it was clean which ended up being some tight dark jeans, and a white long sleeved v-neck shirt. She let her curly hair flow down to her shoulders and threw on her black leather jacket before leaving.

The hallway was filled to the brim with people wanting get off the carrier and have some fun.

Marie found Jack waiting outside for her. He held out an arm for her and she accepted with a smile.

* * *

The night had been fun Marie admitted as she sipped from a beer inside some random bar Jack had found.

They hadn't been able to find the beer museum he heard of, but they'd made their own fun running around the city. At the moment they were playing noughts and crosses on a small pad of paper, enjoying the music and atmosphere of the bar and they couldn't stop laughing.

Jack turned around to order another drink and she leaned over grab the pen from his hand.

Slightly tipsy she missed and touched his hand instead. Jack didn't notice, the pull of her powers had dimmed over the years to almost non existent since she had sucked Cody dry.

" _ **Get her drunk if you have to! Just get the girl off the aircraft and you'll be paid!"**_

She shook her head a bit at the memory from Jack. _Not good Marie…_ Cody warned her and she agreed.

She pulled at Jack's sleeve. He looked at her. She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Want to get out of here, we don't need to go far - there's an alley right outside." She whispered as seductively she could.

Jack looked at her and nodded licking his lips. The moment they were outside Jack attacked her lips with his.

He pushed her up against the wall of the building with his body. Marie kept her eyes open the entire time.

Then she forced her powers on him, large veins popped up his face as she sucked the life from him.

Jack was paralyzed, staring at her in complete fear. She didn't let go. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed on the cold ground.

Marie quickly assessed his psyche in her mind before ripping it apart into millions of golden particles.

Some of the golden particles attached themselves to her, while the remaining vanished from existence.

She used this trick whenever she touched someone, no matter how brief. It only never worked on Cody for some reason.

It had even worked on her very first victim. Before Cody.

She ran through his memories.

Jack had been contacted by Creed because they knew each other from previous jobs, before Jack had been recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Creed knew he'd be able to get Jack to do the dirty work, and deliver her to him if the pay was good enough. _"Half a mil. for lil' ol' me."_ She thought impressed that she was apparently worth that much.

But he was going to have his fun with her before he handed her over to Creed.

His ideas of fun made her visibly shudder. She leaned down and checked his pulse.

She'd killed him, another man to add to her kill list. _"It was self defense…"_ she thought, but she was still feeling guilty.

She looked for her phone before remembering that she'd left to charge on her bed.

She was going to have to make this as convincing as she could. They would question her on how he had died, seemingly with no injury.

In the darkness of the ally, she found a steel pipe.

She hesitated only for a second before smashing it once, as hard as she could on his forehead.

Her secret was more important than her guilt.

The thick blood oozed out slowly fromt the big head wound and she vomited.

Having emptied her stomach of all the alcohol she had drunk and the caesar salad she had eaten at dinner with the guys, she smashed her face at the brick wall as hard as she could make herself.

The pain and tears were immediate, and she felt blood falling from a cut on her cheek. It was probably bruised as well.

She took the cellphone from Jack's body.

Who was she gonna call now was the tough question.

Coulson or Clint?

Coulson - she would call him and he would alert Clint and send him to her to assess the situation. She called his number while crying hysterically. She had slid down on ground next her vomit. "Coulson." He answered simply and immediatly.

"Phil!" She sobbed hysterically into the phone "It's Marie! You have to help me, I didn't mean to but he was hurting me and I didn't mean to, and OH GOD I THINK I KILLED HIM!" She was still sobbing, but she added vomiting sounds, "Where are you!?" He said worry clear in his voice and Marie couldn't help but feel a bit bad that she was playing him like this.

 _It has to be done._ Cody quipped understandingly.

"I don't know! The ally of a bar he took me to, he said he was going to hand me over to Creed, " She choked on air "But not before he could he have his fun with me!" She could hear him yell out a order in the background "Breathe Marie... deep breaths… " Coulson said trying to calm her "I've had the phone tracked and I've sent agents to your position. They'll be there soon don't move. Can you promise not to move.

She nodded and choked out small "I promise."

Coulson hung up and as soon as he did screeching tires were heard, as a black SUV stopped outside the alleyway. She hugged her knees and while clutching the phone tightly in her hand. She rocked back and forth eyes closed muttering and crying.

"Marie? Sweetheart?" The voice was soft. It shouldn't ever have to be so soft for her she thought guiltily. She didn't deserve that softness. She looked up and saw Clint crouching right in front of her.

He slowly reached out a hand towards her and she flinched away instinctively.

He dropped his hand but scooted closer to her and she let him.

And then she broke down for real.

The guilt, the pain and the embarrassment were all running high and she couldn't get rid of them no matter how much she tried.

She'd killed once before and now she had been forced to do it again.

She cried because no matter how much she tried, she would always be monster.

" _Once a killer, always a killer_." She couldn't stop herself from thinking, and Clint held her tightly against him as she broke down.

"Marie…" He spoke softly to her "I have to know.. Did he.." Clint's voice cracked a bit "Did he rape you?" She shook her head violently no.

"He was going to…" she managed to whisper out, and it wasn't a lie. She had seen it in his memories. He had come prepared, there were drugs and condoms in his front pocket he would have used on her to knock her out until Creed could get to her.

 _ **He looks at her, she's trying to solve the hangman challenge he drew on the pad of paper. She drops the pen and as soon as she's bending down to pick it up, he slips a small powder in her beer. He only managed a small dose, but it wouldn't be a problem, he'd make her want it by the end of the night.**_

"He smashed me into the wall… and he was … on me… I managed to get hold of a pipe, and I didn't think, I just hit him as hard as i could." She shuddered and Clint held her tighter, a small sense of relief settling in his heart. She looked and saw Steve looking furious. She hadn't realized he was there. She was sure he'd heard everything with his hearing.

 _ **Creed looks at him expectantly. "Half a mil." He agrees. "Why do you need her so badly anyway, she doesn't really fit your type - you know armed and crazy." His old friend shakes his head "Not for me. The boss. She has a specific skill set he needs." He doesn't question Creed, but he he gets the feeling that he isn't talking about her engineering skills. Creed leaves. He looks around the safe house, before deciding to pack up and head back to the helicarrier. He contacts his handler who agrees to send a quinjet for him. He has a job to do.**_

There were a few agents waiting to process the crime scene. "I'm gonna carry you to the car, okay?" he whispered and placed a small kiss on her head. She nodded and her hands clenched around the front of his shirt.

 _ **He looks on and winces as the kid gets his ass beaten by Romanoff. Even he wasn't that dumb. He'd never talk shit about her… To her face. From the corner of his eye he spies her. Coulson's newest R &D recruit, his job. He watches as she looks on before making her way to the group. This was his chance. He introduced himself to her, and day by day he earns her trust more. He calls Creed the moment they land in New York and works out the details. He would finish it tonight and get his payment. He's been looking to spend money on some new toys.**_

The trip back to the medical on base was a blurry one.

She noticed that Steve had remained back with the team that were investigating.

Clint spent the time back to base patting her head, calming her and it worked. By the time they had parked she was half asleep in his arms. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again she was lying down on a bed, machines beeping in the dark.

A dark figure had its feet propped up on her bed and stared at her unimpressed. "I was wondering when you'd be rejoining the land of the living Dr. D'Ancanto." She sat up and adjusted her pillow. Marie had a horrible head ache.

"Good evening Director Fury. Or is it morning?" She asked completely calm despite knowing what the man's presence meant.

"Doesn't really matter what time it my surprise when Coulson contacts me in the middle of the night to inform me that an R&D member of my staff had killed one of my best agents in self-defence." He looked at her the whole time unblinkingly. "Almost unbelievable." he said.

"Almost." Marie repeated. "Did Barton brief you?" she asked knowing the answer already. He nodded. "And you don't believe or trust me." she stated. "I believe it's the truth," he said surprising her "But I know it's not the whole truth. And no I don't trust you. In case it slipped your notice, I'm the Director of a goddamn secret agency. I don't trust my best agents, let alone my R&D workers." He said honestly.

"But I'll let you earn a bit of my trust, right here, right now. You tell me the truth. I want to know everything that happened tonight at the bar, why out of all the engineers out there Magneto has his eyes on you. How a young girl goes from needing extra help in math to being a child prodigy. Nothing that's being said leaves the two of us."

She looked at him a bit uncertainly.

He sighed before continuing "You're an asset to S.H.I.E.L.D. Doctor. McGuinness showed me your work. It impressed him, hell it impressed me. I just need to make that the asset is being utilized in the best possible way here." she still looked uncertainly at him - if she told him everything - he could blackmail her for the rest of her life or throw her in jail. But she knew that wasn't his end game. "Nothing leaves the two of us." She asked and he nodded.

She sighed but began talking anyways.

"It all started when I was seven. I was at my cousin's birthday party at the local park, having fun like all kids do that age ya know, playing around, making friends getting high on sugar." She looked uncomfortable talking about it, but it didn't stop her.

"The day before, my parents received a call from my teacher mrs. Peers, yet again, about my constant failing in her class. I don't know what she said that time that had been different from million times before, but this time it sent my dad into a rage. Now my parents aren't very loving creatures. Mix that with the fact that they're highly religious and you get the oh-so-wonderful childhood of me. They believed that discipline was the only way for me to get my act together, never mind the fact that I was only seven at the time."

Fury nodded knowing where this was going.

"I still had red lashes on my back from the belt when I was dropped off at the party the next. They hurt a little less, both physically and emotionally, when you're surrounded by family and friends who wouldn't raise a hand at you, who gave you cake and balloons, and toys to play with.

But the hurt returned, and I ended up sitting on swing all by my lonesome softly crying from the pain, when this kid same age as me, comes up from behind and pushed me on my back and off the swing. I still remember the pain his hands caused me. It felt like a millions hot knives slicing and burning their way inside me."

Marie drew a small breath before continuing.

"I could barely get up again from the ground and when I did, the kid started laughing at me. The humiliation and pain made me want to hurt him, and I remember pushing him except I wasn't really. My hands had made contact with his neck.

I was so angry at him I hadn't realized that he was paralyzed with fear. When I finally noticed him, his face was covered in thick veins and he was gasping in pain. It felt like a lifetime had passed, before he finally collapsed at my feet unmoving. I ran back to the part and pretended nothing had happened."

Marie brushed a tear away from her eye. "I spent the rest of the day reassuring myself I wasn't Adrian Beckett, and that my foster parents Don and Jennifer Beckett were not actually my parents, but that Owen and Priscilla D'Ancanto were. As time passed I got better at remembering things, what page held a certain quote, every number included in pi. I sucked up information like a sponge, at the change didn't go unnoticed either by my teachers over the years nor my peers. It wasn't until i was thirteen that I realized that Adrian Beckett, while he was alive, had photographic memory… and that I for some reason had kept it. "

Fury nodded, "So you're a mutant." he stated and Marie replied "I honestly don't know what I am… I'm pretty sure I'm a monster. I never even knew what a mutant was until Coulson explained to me that was what Creed was." she said staring at her hands as if they would answer her. "... It didn't happen again, and after a while I did what any kid would do. I repressed it and went on with my life."

"Now the time in between the next time my curse would act up was spent with tutors: reading, learning and remembering. I'd finished all my schooling when I was fourteen, and was offered a place at the University of Mississippi, but my parents wouldn't let me accept it. They thought I was too young, and I agreed with them, so they let me stay in middle school until I was ready to socialize with college kids.

The summer after I'd turned sixteen, before high school, I had a boy in my room. A friend. His name was Cody. We were messing around, talking about our dreams, when he leaned over to kiss me. I was surprised and it soon turned into horror when thick veins appeared on him and he was left gasping for air. I managed to let go of him, and ended up screaming for my parents."

Fury was silently taking in the informations.

"A lot of that night was a blur, but I stayed behind with my momma when my dad left in the ambulance with Cody… I didn't see ever see Cody again. My parents shipped me of to Ole Miss U, wanting nothing to do with the demon that was their child. My momma only ever called me once in those five years to let me know that Cody had woken up from his coma. She hung up before I could even register what she'd said."

She tapped her head lightly "I haven't been able to get rid of him since."

Fury eyed her and asked "He's in your head?"

she nodded and explained "Over the years I've learnt how my powers work and what they do. Whenever I touch someone, I… Absorb them. Everything they are becomes mine… Or at least a copy of them. Their memories, their knowledge and their skills. Sometimes even their looks if I've taken enough from them.

I wanted to control it, so little by little I would walk around touching the people around me, people I saw and spoke with everyday. Their voices inside my head grew stronger every time I touched them. They were all quick touches, not enough to leave anyone suspicious.

One day I was partying with my friend Jess and this drunk guy grabs my hand wanting to swing me around the room. I was terrified that this would be the moment my secret was outed. That I was going be hunted down and experimented on.

I fiercely willed and wished myself not to hurt him and it worked. To my total surprise, his loud and drunk psyche was entering my mind but he wasn't getting hurt. He was just pulling me along the living room, dancing to the music."

The wheels in Fury's mind were turning as he took in the young girl in front of him.

"It's not fun having a hundred different people in your mind talking and yelling at each other because they're bored and stuck…

One day I was studying for an exam, and I couldn't focus.

I got so angry, wanting to rip out the psyches from my mind, that I actually did it.

Every voice disappeared in my head, but their knowledge and skills stayed.

Except Cody. For some reason I just can't get rid of him..." She said playing with the IV drop on her hand. She didn't want to meet his eye but did anyways.

Fury whistled appreciatively "That's one hell of a power."

She nodded.

"So, you're telling me that with just one touch of your hand that you can get all the dirty secrets and memories from a person and they can't do shit about it..." Marie nodded.

Fury grinned "You'd be one hell of an interrogator to have on our teams." he said before turning serious again.

"I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from using your powers on anyone else in my organization unless I give direct permission or an order that says otherwise."

Marie nodded "I haven't, only on Jack" she winced "… I don't actually like using my powers… It's just a necessity in order to control it."

"Good. Now tell me about Jack and what went down tonight. The full story." And she did. It felt nice to finally have someone to confide to about her powers, even if that person was the director of a secret agency, who would probably use it to his own gain.

Everything from the brief touch that alerted her about Jack's intentions, to the 500k bounty Sabretooth had put on her head, to Jack's more darker side and why Magneto wanted her.

"Apparently," Marie began "He knows about my powers and that's why he wants me. Creed told Jack that much. I have no idea how he knows - the only people who do, I can count on my hand. And neither one of them would ever discuss their demon child with anyone… especially a man like Magneto."

Fury nodded, this was gonna be problem - Magneto knowing things he shouldn't - a big problem.

"You said you've obtained Jack Foster's skills and knowledge," He asked her and she nodded affirmatively

"Good, that means you can defend yourself now. Jack was one of my best fighters close to Romanoff in skills. Now what do you want to do?" she looked at him surprised "I'm sorry?"

He sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose "Not utilizing your powers would be a crime considering its usefulness in an organization such as S.H.I.E.L.D, but you're young. Do you want to stay in R&D or do you want me to have you transferred to the junior agents?"

Marie was surprised she was given a choice. "I'd like to stay at R&D for now Sir. When I get bored I'll let you know… But if you need help with an interrogation... Well, I want to help out where I can." She said honestly and Fury nodded his head approvingly

"I was expecting nothing less Doc. Now get some sleep. Barton would have my hide if he knew I'd kept you up most of the night." With that he left the medical room and Marie fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

;-)


	4. Chapter 4

:-)

a short chapter

* * *

The next couple of weeks went by slowly, much to the annoyance of Marie.

The investigation had gone without a hint of a problem. It might have something to do with Fury she had thought, or it could have been because her blood test had actually tested positive for date-rape drugs. Jack had managed to pour it in her beer at some point. She hadn't been affected by it yet at the time of the alley.

It took Steve and Clint three weeks and a (rather violent) punch to their guts to get the hint and stop walking on eggshells around her - that she wasn't going to break. Natasha had only looked at the two shaking her head. Clint had updated her on the situation, when she came back from her mission.

She knew what the constant hovering from the two men would lead to, Marie was a lot like herself on that matter - strong and independent - and she would deal with it on her own terms.

After a while Marie had ordered Steve to join her in the lab. The day of testing her magnet had finally come.

"Okay," she said attaching the device to his right arm. She held out his arm in completely straight position pointing it toward his shield that was leaning against the wall on his right. Her own hand covered his has "...so you just clench your hand," she said and gripped his hand a bit tighter before letting go "and the shield should theoretically come flying and attach itself to the magnet."

"It's a bit bulky isn't it?" Steve said looking at the wires, velcro and metal plate.

"Yeah sugar, but it's still in testing phase," she agreed "If it works, we'll figure out a way to integrate it into your uniforms." She grinned before walking over to a computer

"You ready?" Steve nodded.

He clenched his fist waiting for the shield to fly back to him.

Nothing happened.

He looked at Marie and saw her glaring at the shield, before typing away on her computer.

"Okay, so I'm gonna raise the power a teeny tiny bit, lets try again." If Marie had been more attentive to her surroundings she would have noticed the E.M.P arrow she'd been working on for Clint dangling dangerously on the edge of her desk.

Steve clenched his fist. Now if Steve had expected that the shield would actually fly back to him, he might not have ended on his ass as the shield hit the desk before hitting the magnet on his arm.

A large crack sounded in the lab followed by a small pulse killing off the nearest electronics as the arrow hit the lab floor and shattered.

The shield was attached to the metal plate, but Marie could see something white and red protruding from Steve's right forearm.

She felt sick "Oh my god. Oh my god! ohmygod I broke your arm!" she started panicking and started hitting the dead computer until the shield fell of his arm.

The shield clattered to the floor. Steve got up cradling his now broken arm wincing slightly. "Marie." he said calmly looking at her panic while yelling out her Oh my God's - she didn't hear him.

"Marie…" Still nothing. Steve sighed before grabbing a hold of her with his good arm. He did the only thing he could think of to shut her up. He kissed her … Deeply. Marie closed her eyes and felt her knees go weak.

When he finally let her go, she stared at him green eyes wide while having been rendered speechless.

He chuckled at her expression "Let's head down to medical and get this cleared up, yeah." He said smiling at her.

She nodded and the two of them made their way down stairs. Along the way Marie couldn't stop apologizing to him, but Steve would only calmly reply that it was okay - she hadn't done it on purpose.

Steve was lying down on a bed talking with Marie when Doctor Attwood entered looking at his x-rays.

He reminded Marie a bit of santa with his big white beard, small glasses, red cheeks and beer belly.

He fixed his glasses and tutted at Steve. "Well mr. Rogers, looks like we have clean break. We'll have to cut your arm open and move the bone back in place," Marie and Steve both winced "in order for it to heal properly.

It's a small procedure, and we'll do it right away. The only problem is that we won't be able to put you down under." Steve nodded and Marie looked at him for an explanation "Super-soldier serum," he said to her "they haven't found anything that can sedate me yet."

She looked even guiltier than before.

"It's okay, I don't mind… Hell of a story we can tell people of our first kiss, you break my arm and I kiss you huh?" He joked at the end but he could see it didn't help. He grabbed Marie's hand with his free left hand and held her. They smiled at each other.

Dr. Attwood grabbed some supplies and and put on a pair of latex gloves, while muttering about today's young love.

He carefully dubbed some iodine around the wound and started cleaning it. He grabbed a scalpel and quickly cut break further open.

'Steve reluctantly let go of her hand and grabbed a hold of the metal railing of the bed when Dr. Attwood told him he would start pushing the bone into its place.

At the first push from Dr. Attwood the metal railing broke under Steve's grip as he tried not to squirm in pain.

Marie felt bad _"This is all my fault… I have to distract him some how... "_ she thought looking around. There was nothing around here she could use.

She placed her hand on his shoulder trying to calm him before leaning in and kissing him.

 _"Boy, this man sure knows how to kiss!"_ she thought a bit corny as he focused on the task of kissing her, instead of the pain.

Someone clearing their throat brought them back to reality and they separated while blushing embarrassingly.

Dr. Atwood shook his head at them. "I've finished the replacement of the bone, but I'm putting it in a cast. Come back in two days time and we'll xray it again and see how it is." He said to Steve while placing the needed materials for the cast on the small table next to him.

Coulson walked inside the med-room when they were halfway through placing the cast.

He looked at the two expectantly "Do I even want to know how you managed to break your arm." He directed at Steve looking at him in disbelief.

Marie raised her hand in the air a bit awkwardly "My fault, I got a bit overexcited at the weapons testing, sugar. The calibration was a bit off, and I raised it by a half percent… It was definitely half a percent too much, and the E.M.P arrow might have detonated in the lab by accident." She admitted embarrassedly.

Coulson sighed before clenching the bridge of his nose. "He'll be back in no time Phil," Dr. Atwood reassured him while finishing up. "Give him two days and he should be as good as new."

He nodded still annoyed.

"No weapons testing for you the next couple of days. I don't want to see you in or anywhere near the lab." He said pointing at Marie and left them while muttering about paperwork, new gear and clearing Steve for sick leave.

"I'm pretty sure I just ended up as number one on his enemy list." Marie half joked

"Nah, I'm pretty sure Phil adores you." Steve smiled back, Marie only shook her head as the two exited the medical wing.

"I just broke his favorite action-man, you don't walk away unscathed from that sugar." She said referring to Phil's not-so-secret fan crush on Captain America. Steve rolled his eyes.

* * *

Steve and Marie spent the rest of the day just walking around the helicarrier together, talking, joking and having a great time.

When the time for dinner came the two decided to eat together outside on the deck. The helicarrier was afloat while tech teams were doing their regular check ups on the machinery.

Steve had brought two blankets.

They sat on one leaning against the wall hidden in a small corner. The sky was filled with pink and orange as the sun slowly set in west, it was a beautiful sight. Marie and Steve snuggled together under the second blanket while enjoying a sandwich each. Steve rested his broken right arm over her shoulder and Marie leaned into his body happily.

"This definitely wasn't what I expected when I joined up. If only I'd known about S.H.I.E.L.D. earlier. " She said grinning at him. "Please," he interrupted "this is has nothing to do with S.H.I.E.L.D. This is the Steven Rogers experience." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she giggled "I hope ya don't treat all the ladies like this mister... How am I supposed to feel special then?" she asked mockingly and he poked her with his good hand and she laughed.

Their eyes widened simultaneously, Steve laughed as he one handed attacked her ticklish spots and she helplessly tried pushing him away and failed.

After what felt like an eternity he stopped "Don't worry, you're the only lady privy to the Steven Grant Rogers experience." He reassured her and she realized how true that was. " _He's never been in a relationship before, he didn't even get to experience it with Peggy Carter..."_ she thought sadly and at the same time happy.

"Wanna' know a secret sugar?" she asked him looking into those beautiful blue eyes and he nodded.

"You're the only man privy to the Anna-Marie D'Ancanto experience too… And if you tell anyone my first name is Anna I'll kick your butt." She admitted her eyes narrowing a bit.

His eyes widened a bit before he smiled happily. He leaned over and kissed her. The rest of the evening and part of the night was spent in companionable silence while enjoying the view and the company.

* * *

:-)


	5. Chapter 5

:-)

* * *

When she woke up the next morning she felt giddy and happy.

She'd finally been on her first date ever and it had been amazing. _Second technically…_ Cody's voice piped up. _"It doesn't really count as a date when the guy's a psychopath who wants to rape you and hand you over to a terrorist, and you end up killing him. I'm pretty sure the dating gods have a rule about that."_ She retorted sarcastically and it shut him up.

She yawned and stretched before deciding a lie in was the perfect way to spend her morning while Phil had the lab cleaned and fixed.

She must have angered whatever god was out when a knock sounded on her door. She groaned but got up anyways and opened the door. "Fury wants you in his office. In ten minutes." The random agent said to before leaving abruptly. _"This isn't going to be good."_

She sat in front of the one eyed man a minute earlier than requested, after having found something acceptable to wear.

He handed her a tablet with a an open file. She read it through and he huffed a bit "I thought you were a fast reader." he said when she finally finished. "No," she shook her head "photographic memory, I remember everything read. You're thinkin' 'bout eidetic memory." she said.

"Never mind," he muttered "the file you just read pertains to a prisoner Widow brought in five days ago. Both she and Barton have tried numerous times and failed in cracking him." He leaned back in his chair. "And now you want me to take over."

"I honestly want give you the offer to turn me down, but theses are nuclear launch codes having gotten in the wrong hands. We need the answers yesterday." She nodded.

He got up and she followed suit. IT took a while getting to the holding cells because he constantly had to clear and override Marie's entrance.

"Remind me to have your level raised on the way back…" He muttered after the tenth time. Fury stopped in the middle of a hallway in front of an door.

Fury entered the room while she followed suit. The room was brightly lit with white walls and equally bright light, and it gave Marie a headache as she entered.

She couldn't imagine how this man imprisoned here for the last five days felt. _"Well I'll find out soon enough."_ she thought. The man, Bruno Horgan, looked pathetic. His arms and feet were bare and shackled to the table in front of him. T

he bright orange jumpsuit contrasted badly with his pale skin and tired brown and bag filled eyes. _"I would look like crap to after five days with Clint and Natasha interrogating me."_

"I'd like to introduce to you Dr. D'Ancanto." Horgan took looked at her and angrily and mockingly said to Fury"Your best agents can't crack me, so you send in a little girl. Pathetic." he spat.

 _"Why does everybody call me girl, I don't look so young damn it!"_ she thought annoyed. _"I'm almost twenty-one!"_ "Give it your best shot little shrink." Horgan said turning his attention to her.

"Who said I was shrink?" she replied in her soft accent and it caught Horgan off guard.

He eyed her warily "Then what are you?" he asked. "An engineer, like you. Except I don't go off destroying Stark Labs because because I lost my client." She said pushing him for a reaction and it was instantaneous.

He jumped to his feet, his six foot frame towering over hovering over her own five foot five, yelling obscenities at them. _"Okay… Stark Industries is a sore spot. Noted."_ she thought. She looked at Fury and he nodded.

Fury walked over to Horgan and forced him back into his seat. Marie quickly grabbed his face with her hands.

She let her powers go and it took seconds before he was knocked unconscious.

Marie took a moment to breathe in before ripping his yelling psyche to pieces. She rubbed her head and Fury led her out and back to his office.

She filtered through his memories before commenting to Fury "He really hates Stark Industries." Bruno Horgan was once one of the best in the engineering field, making big money by providing weapons and munitions the U.S. government. His greed lost him his contract when safety inspectors closed him down for using cheap materials. Instead, the contract went to Stark Industries.

Since then he terrorized and plotted against Stark labs all over the country.

 _ **He was forced to watch as his life work, his factory, was being ripped apart by government officials. The anger and terror ripped him in two from the inside. He would save something, the smallest thing he could find. In his panic he found a small malfunctioning radar device that was supposed to project a beam that melted iron materials he'd been working on but given up. He took the device, hiding it in his suitcase before leaving the place he once called home.**_

"Have you found something?" Fury asked her a bit impatient and Marie nodded.

 _ **He perfected the device, incorporating it into a costume, and became the Melter. He Immediately left for the nearest Stark lab on a rampage, sabotaging and destroying it. He was confronted by Iron Man himself and painfully defeated.**_

"He has a friend in Russia, military man - a general in fact - Konstantin Lazarev. Used to do business with him on the sold him the Nuclear launch codes. But he got them from some guy who calls himself Doom." Fury inhaled as his hand clenched around the pen in it. "You're sure about Doom." he asked hoping the answer would be no.

"Yeah, his memories - not mine." She said without hesitation. Fury nodded while thinking about the diplomatic mess this would turn into.

 _ **He watches as a guard he's never seen before nods in his direction. He stares out of his prison cell he's called home the last year. The guard hands him a small piece of paper. Be ready at ten. You're getting out. A small courtesy of Doom. He looks up in both shock and surprise but the guard is already gone.**_

"You got something on Lazarev's location." He asks her "Yeah, apparently he doesn't leave his home all that much - it's in a small village, Severomorsk" she said fluently because of Horgan's russian skills that were now her own "in the Murmansk Oblast. The town is the main administrative base of the Russian Northern Fleet. But that shouldn't be a problem. His security in the house is high tech -thanks to Horgan- but we have the codes to turn it off from the outside." She said and then informed him of the codes.

 _ **He sits in front the man that calls himself Doom in the Latverian Embassy. Doom tells him of his plan and tells him what his part would be in all of this. He agrees and doesn't question the man about how he got his hands on nuclear launch codes. He's not that stupid.**_

 _ **He calls up his old friend the general and soon they agree on a price. Soon he's on a plane with a false Latverian passport.**_

 _ **The exchange goes unsurprisingly well between the two old friends. They sit and talk about the good old days, and half drunk on the strong vodka the general confides in him that he already set up a meeting with his leader and superiors on tuesday in two weeks time.**_

 _ **From there on they would discuss what would be done with the launch codes.**_

"What was Dooms angle in all of this?" He sometimes wishes this wasn't his job, that he'd become an accountant or something equally boring, but unfortunately for Fury this _was_ his job so needed to know, even if he didn't always want to know.

"War… He wants to turn up the tensions between the States and Russia and remove the focus of him expanding Latveria." He nodded "Good work. You just saved the world Doc." he said appreciatively and Marie felt a sense of accomplishment she hadn't in a long time.

"Now go find your boyfriend or something, and try not to break anymore of his bones. He's going to be needed." Marie blushed and nodded before leaving the room quickly.

Fury sighed before calling the Widow and Hawkeye to his office. Five minutes later they entered casually. "Gear up. We've broken the Melter. You're going to Russia, you'll be briefed on the quinjet, it leaves in a hour." The two looked at him surprised before nodding and heading off.

* * *

Marie grabbed a chicken salad before slouching down at an empty table.

She looked around, it was still too early for lunch so the cafeteria was empty. She enjoyed the quiet chatter going around when a older woman in S.H.I.E.L.D. issued combat uniform sat down in front of her out of nowhere - she was asian, black hair and dark brown eyes - and she looked like she could kick ass. Marie looked at her a bit uncomfortably.

"May I help you?" she asked not wanting to be rude.

The woman raised an eyebrow at her. "Melinda May." "Marie D'Ancanto." she responded and the woman nodded.

"I've noticed you working out every night the last couple of weeks. You got skills." the woman told her Marie thanked her not knowing what a huge compliment it was coming from the woman.

She'd been working out every night since she killed Jack Foster, getting used to the fighting skills she absorbed from him when she applied it to her own lithe form instead of his massive and heavy one.

"I'd like to spar with you." May said and Marie was uncomfortable. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. I'm not really a fighter…" she said honestly.

The woman, May, looked at her with her own expression blank "You have the moves and skills that says so otherwise." May countered. "A lot of training, I've just never used them before." she said in a small voice. May nodded and rose from the table.

"Good. I'll meet you in the gym at nine." Marie nodded before realizing what the woman had said.

Before she could utter a decline the woman had already left. _"What have I gotten myself into…"_ She groaned.

"What up, buttercup?" Clint said from behind her when he noticed long face. He and Natasha were wearing their uniforms.

Each sat down next to her at the table to eat a light meal before take off. "I think I just unknowingly agreed to spar with May tonight." she groaned and the two looked at her surprised.

"As in Agent Melinda May?" Clint asked in disbelief and she nodded. He whistled. "How the hell did you manage to get roped into that?"

"No Idea, she just came up to me and said she'd seen me train at the gym, that I had skill, and that she wanted to spar with me." Natasha and Clint shared a look.

"Have you been holding out on us?" he said and she quickly looked at them "No!" she said not wanting to explain how she suddenly developed fighting skills paralleled to Natasha. "Ever since the… you know… back in New York, I've been taking up some training." she said half lying, and they nodded understanding.

"You must be a natural if May wants to test your skills." he said before groaning "Why do all the cool things always happen when we're away on missions!" he complained to Natasha.

"We have our own fun." she said with a neutral expression and Clint looked at as if she was crazy "We _do not_ share the same opinions on the definitions of _fun_ Nat." he said before poking at his salad a bit not really feeling hungry.

Natasha only shrugged but Marie could see her lips turning twitching. "If you survive May, I'd like to spar with you too. It'd only help further your training." She offered to Marie.

Marie sighed and accepted the offer. "How did I suddenly become everybody's personal punching bag?" She asked sarcastically. Steve sat down with them. "Karma, I've been told, is a bitch." He said flashing his cast to them and Clint mock gasped "Captain America swearing! Oh the youth's have corrupted you!" Steve shook his head at his antics.

He kissed Marie on the cheek and she blushed. "Pay up Barton." Natasha said grinning. "My, my, Steve…" Clint said "Or is it you that's been corrupting the youth!" and winked at him before handing over a twenty from his pocket to Natasha. "You bet on on when I'd make a move on Marie?" He asked surprised.

Clint responded with a "Yup." and Natasha nodded with not even an ounce of shame. "Clint actually bet that it would be Marie who made the first move, and that it wouldn't be before another two weeks." Natasha informed them. "He still hasn't learned not to bet against me." she grinned.

After a while the two rose from the table saying their farewells before leaving for the quinjet.

It left Marie and Steve alone together at the table. "So what have you been up to today? I came by your room and lab to see if you wanted to eat breakfast with me, but you weren't there." She kissed him on the cheek.

"I was in a surprise meeting with Fury all morning." she explained and he nodded looking a bit relieved.

"What?" she asked him. Steve blushed and shook his head. "What Steve?" she repeated before realizing what he was embarrassed about.

"Did you … Did you think I was avoiding you?" She laughed and he blushed even harder than before.

"It's not funny…" he muttered but he smiled a bit too.

Marie cooed over him and leaned over to hug and kiss him. "You really think I would be avoiding you after the amazing Steven Grant Rogers experience?" she whispered in his ear lovingly.

He held her tightly against him and Marie loved every second of it. "Well now you just made me feel like a right fool, doll." He whispered back to her and she shivered pleasurably.

"Come on." she said getting up while holding his good arm. "Where are we going?" He asked her surprised. "You'll see." was the only response he got when she pulled him along.

Steve stood inside her room a bit uncertain of what she had planned. She'd left him as soon as she'd pushed him inside it. When she came back her arms were filled pillows and linens and quilts. She threw it on the floor where he stood and closed her door. He raised an eyebrow at her and she grinned.

"We're building a pillow fort!" she exclaimed in childish glee that was so infectious.

"A pillow fort." he said. She nodded "Don't tell me the great Steven Rogers never built a pillow fort before." she exclaimed

"I'll have you know renowned for my pillow forts." he teased "Is that so," she said "Then get to work soldier!" He laughed and saluted her with a "Yes Ma'm!" T

hey threw off their shoes and started to work on their fortress. Once finished, Marie brought down her laptop before putting on a movie. That's how they spend the most of the day. They managed to get through the Lion King and then Fight Club - both movies Steve actually liked, the first one because of the childish innocence and morale of it, and the second because of the unexpected plot twist and criticism of the modern world it favored. "You seem surprised that you like them." She said snuggling into his side in the darkness of their pillowfort. The only light was from the dimmed down computer.

"They're the first movies I've seen that either wasn't a documentary or a fictional movie about the war. Just because I came from the war doesn't necessarily mean I enjoy watching movies about it." he said. "Then well make it our thing, every sunday that we have the time we build a pillow fort and watch movie that we want to watch, deal?" she said and Steve replied with "Deal." of his own before kissing her which soon turned into a snogging session in their pillow fort.

* * *

By the time it had reached nine Marie had already dressed comfortably in her workout clothes.

When she entered the gym May stood waiting in one of the boxing rings. she had a small smile on her face when she realized that Marie wasn't going to chicken out.

The woman nodded at her and Marie smiled even though she felt terrified. "I wasn't sure you'd come." May said looking at her. "I wasn't sure I was going to either, but then I thought, 'Hey, I haven't gotten my ass kicked in while, so why not!' and here I am." she said sarcastically and May's face though neutral in expression couldn't hide the humour in her eyes. Marie dropped her towel over the ropes when she entered. The two faced off each other before finding a good position, May started with an offensive stance while Marie used a defensive.

May came at her _"Maybe if I"_ Her thoughts were interrupted when May led her flat on her back with a sweep of her leg. She looked at Marie unimpressed. It continued like this another ten minutes, Marie getting her ass handed to her, before May had enough. "Stop thinking D'Ancanto and start _acting_!" She said angrily pulling Marie to her feet.

Apparently having the knowledge of fighting and actually using it in a fight were two different things, Marie had realised. She was in pain but she wasn't going to let it show. She shook it off before taking an offensive stance. "Stop thinking, start acting. Right." she muttered. _"I'm gonna regret this in the morning.."_ she winced as pulled up her arms.

May came at her, and she instinctively blocked her punch. They both looked up in surprise before May quickly continued with her attacks. Marie managed to block most of them and even landed her own hits on May. May came at her once more and Marie acted before realizing what she was doing. May went for a right uppercut leaving her front and left side completely vulnerable.

Marie raised her foot and kicked her on the torso, making May fly back and falling on her ass. "Oh my god!" Marie exclaimed before running over to help pull May up as she had done to Marie earlier. May was lying on her back breathing heavily and grabbed the offered hand. She then pulled Marie down on the ground next to her. "Ow." Marie said lying on her back next to May, both of them panting heavily.

May then sat up looked at her. "You're good but you can definitely improve. We'll do this twice a week from now on." Marie's only response was a half choke-half pant as she tried to remember how to breathe.

There was a solitary clapping resounding through the gym. The Director stood with Phil and Steve at his side. Phil was holding his cellphone apparently videotaping the fight while smiling, and Steve looked at Marie with pride and surprise in his eyes.

"How long have you been standing there." May demanded, she hadn't noticed them either Marie thought surprised, as she still lay on the floor of the ring.

"We walked in on you kicking the good doctor's ass, and well it wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me if I interrupted." Fury said grinning at them. May rolled her eyes as Fury continued "May, we have a mission for you, Phil will brief you." He said seriously and May nodded and left the gym with Phil.

Fury turned to Marie "I just came to let you know that the informations we discussed this morning, were a all correct and it was a success." He said informing her of Barton and Romanoff's mission. She gave him a thumbs up "Great." she said and he turned and left.

Steve entered the ring and lay down next to her. "I didn't know you could fight." He said looking at her sideways.

"Took it up a couple of weeks ago. I'm a natural." she said smiling at him. He was quiet for a little while. "You wanna eventually get out of here?" Steve asked her and she shook her head no. "I don't think I can get up even if I wanted to, sugar." she explained. Steve smiled at her "Then I'll just have to carry you." he said picking her up bridal style. Marie winced.

* * *

Natasha sat in the quinjet with Clint enjoying the peace and quiet, as he manouvered it back to base somewhere over the atlantic ocean.

The mission had been a success, and General Lazarev was no longer a threat to the world peace. The launch codes had died with him in what had been deemed an "accidental" gas explosion by the local russian news. Clint's phone pinged alerting them to a new message.

He put the controls of the quinjet on autopilot and pulled out the phone. It was a message from Phil.

" **You owe me. Big time."** it said and attached was a video. He opened the video sharing the screen with Natasha.

They watched the video of Marie getting her as kicked by May. Clint commentated and winced all through the video while Natasha silently observed.

The fight ended surprisingly well with Marie managing to floor May. "That was awesome!" Clint exclaimed while Natasha only frowned.

"What wrong?" He asked noticing her expression, suddenly wary. "Probably nothing… But her style reminds me of someone." She said. Clint stayed quiet while raising a questioning eyebrow at her.

She shook her head. She refrained from saying it reminded her of Jack Foster's fighting style, knowing it would only set him off in a rage.

* * *

When Marie woke up the next morning she felt like she'd been run over by a truck. _A truck named Melinda May…_ Cody said and she could hear the obvious smirk in his voice. _"Go away Cody…"_ _I would if I could Marie…_

She checked her phone and saw a message from Phil clearing her to work in the lab again - but to refrain from breaking any bones or computers - and that everything was back in working order.

She rolled her eyes. _"I'll never get to live that down."_ she thought. She had another unread message this time from Clint, letting her know they were back from their mission.

she got up very slowly and wished she'd stayed down. She walked all over the pillows and linens that still littered on the floor and entered her small bathroom.

A shower, a toilet and a sink, and very little room. The shower helped ease the pain a bit, but the bruises were still there.

It was a good thing she was covered up by her normal clothing, because it wasn't a pretty sight.

She wondered when this had become her life. How she'd managed to go from jobless Phd to working for a secret government agency, dating a good guy and having a home.

 _"Okay, the dating bit is only two days old but both dates have been amazing!"_ she thought dreamily thinking about Steve. She grabbed her lab coat and made her way to work.

When she got there she found an person going through her stuff. She closed the behind her before clearing her voice. The person, a woman turned to her.

"Who the hell are ya, and why are ya going through mah stuff?" She demanded angrily her accent getting thicker. "Who the hell are ya, and why are ya going through mah stuff?" the woman copied her perfectly in Marie's own voice, freaking out Marie.

"What the hell…" Marie said taking a step back as the woman took one towards her "What the hell…" the woman copied again in Marie's voice, though this time her face and body started contorting. Blue scales rippled on the woman's body until Marie ended up standing in front of... herself.

The fake Marie took a metal plate from the table behind her, and smacked it over the real Marie's head. She fell unconscious to the floor. For a small second the fake Marie's eyes flashed yellow before returning to their normal green.

* * *

:-)


	6. Chapter 6

:-)

* * *

When Steve finally got his hand released from the cast around dinner time he decided that he was going to see if Marie wanted join him. He found her leaning against her work table playing with a new E.M.P arrow she had made for Clint.

She twirled the arrow between her fingers as if it was a toy, and she didn't know what it would do if she dropped it. _"She seems a bit off…"_ He thought concerned before pushing the thought aside _"Probably just from the beating she got at practice with May yesterday."_ She still hadn't noticed him.

He crossed his arms leaning against the door frame, before clearing his voice. She nearly dropped the arrow in surprise. He quickly went over and took the arrow from her hands, placing it gently on the table.

"I don't think it's a good idea you play around with it, considering what happened last time." He said raising an annoyed eyebrow at her.

 _"She's usually more careful…"_

"Mah bad." she said her accent thick. _"Odd… It's only usually thick when she's angry or yelling at Clint."_ He observed.

His brow furrowed and Marie licked her lips suggestively before leaning in to him "What are you doing Doctor D'Ancanto." He said angrily looking at her.

 _"That's not Marie…"_ a small voice inside his head whispered and he was inclined to agree with it.

In the eight months he had gotten to know her, she'd never be so bold… With anybody. _**"That's not how a lady behaves, sugar…"**_ the flash of a memory was quickly pushed to the back of his mind, as he figured out a way to out the being in front of him.

The fake Marie shook her head realizing her mistake before apologizing to him. "Sorry."

He looked at her expectantly and she stared at him annoyed.

"What?" she demanded angrily. _"Definitely not Marie.."_ "Are you ready?" He asked her, a plan having formed in his mind.

"Uhm, yeah 'course ah am." she said while looking around a bit uncertainly.

He sighed "Don't tell me you forgot… We're supposed to show Fury the Magnet-thing-device today." He said taking the device Marie had worked on for a couple of weeks now.

The fake Marie nodded. "Ah didn' forget, it just slipped mah mind." He placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her along "Then let's move it, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can get back to my training." She angrily swatted his hand off her shoulder and huffed.

He made sure he was half a step behind her at any given time. They made it to the open space of the control room that was bustling with life. Fury stood discussing something with Phil, Natasha and Clint.

They all looked up when they entered and Clint waved them over.

The fake Marie was about walk over and Steve saw his chance.

He dropped the device in his hands and grabbed her in chokehold while securing her arms behind her back one handedly.

The fake Marie yelled out in surprise and fear. Clint yelled out "Steve what the hell man!" and every gun in the room was trained on him. The woman in his grip struggled but he only held on tighter.

"EVERYBODY STAND DOWN!" Fury yelled out in anger at everybody "THAT'S A GODDAMNED ORDER!" No one dropped their guns, not even Natasha, when the woman started begging for help.

Fury took in Steve with his one good eye. "Soldier, report!" He demanded seriously pissed off. The tensions was thick in the air, and Clint raged while wanting to pump Steve full of bullets.

The woman struggled and managed to hit Steve with a wild elbow. He grunted. "Not Marie, Sir. Imposter!" He grunted out in response.

"Yeah, and why should we believe you!" Clint demanded calmly but with a deadly glint in his eyes.

"It..." He bit out. _"Maybe I should have thought this a bit more through…"_ He thought as he noticed Clint's raging eyes.

Fury held up a hand for silence. He walked up to the girl and his best and most honest soldier, who claimed she was an imposter.

"Why did Mrs. Peers call your mother the day before your cousin's seventh birthday." He asked the girl, knowing that no one else but he and D'Ancanto would know the answer.

She struggled some more before angrily spitting out "To congratulate me on another aced test!" at him, knowing about the girl's genius in her younger childhood years.

In that moment Fury lived up to his name.

He grabbed her face in his hand and clenched as hard as he could.

"Who the HELL are you and what have you done with Dr. D'Ancanto?!" Clint dropped his his gun slightly, and every other agent looked on in surprise.

They'd never seen him so… well Furious. The woman laughed and and her skin started turning blue. "Mystique!" he spat out.

"I should have known. Where is D'Ancanto!? Where?!" he demanded gripping her face as hard as he could.

"You're too late!" she laughed mockingly and Steve felt his heart clench "She's with Magneto, and there's nothing you can do. Your beliefs of liberty and freedom will soon be nothing but broken memories." She laughed before turning into a wasp, escaping Fury and Steve's grip, and flying up into the vents.

Chaos soon followed. Orders were being screamed out at the agents around them to secure the vents, to track down D'Ancanto by any means necessary and to get their asses in to gear. "This is a matter of world peace!" Fury yelled out "No one will even take a goddamned break to piss before we've located either Dr. D'Ancanto or Magneto!"

Clint and Natasha hurried over to Steve having replaced their weapons.

"What the hell happened!" Clint demanded.

"I don't know. I went by to take her to lunch and she wasn't acting like herself. And I just _knew_ it wasn't her!" he replied distressed.

Clint nodded "Don't worry, we'll find her." he reassured Steve and promised himself at the same time angrily.

"Who knows how long Magneto's had her for?! How did they even get her off the helicarrier!?" Steve yelled out and punched the wall next to him, leaving a massive dent and impression of his fist.

"I'd like to know that as well." Fury angrily said as he came to stand with them with Phil by his side, as Hill took over leading the crew.

Natasha who had been quiet during the ordeal suddenly muttered "New York."

Fury looked at her "Wanna share with the rest of the class Romanoff." He said and she ignored his pissed off tone

"New York." She repeated "They're in New York."

"How do you know?" Clint asked praying she was right in her assessment.

"The first attack on Marie was in New York. Foster was supposed to hand her over to an awaiting Creed." They all knew how that ended. "And Mystique said Liberty. She could have just stopped at freedom, but she didn't… She's in New York."

Fury stared at her. "You're basing your assessment on the use of an extra word." He said in quiet disbelief.

"People like Mystique always need to hint at the obvious because they think we're too dumb to make the connection." She said simply.

The men all looked at her impressed and surprised.

Fury turned back to the crew. "Narrow the search to New York, and get us there yesterday!" he yelled out.

* * *

When Marie opened her eyes again her vision was extremely blurry.

She was uncomfortable she noted. She was lying down on some cold metal surface, her hands painfully cuffed upwards on a small metal rail that attached two machines to each other.

"I'm sorry about cuffs, but I felt them necessary considering how long you've been able to avoid us." A soft and aged voice spoke to her.

She blinked a few times before finally seeing clearly.

The man was old, wearing some kind of red uniform with a long cape flowing gently behind him.

Behind him Sabretooth grinned at her and she felt sick. A gross hunched over man stood next to him and Marie could smell his stench from the other side of the room.

The old man turned away from her. _"This must be the elusive Magneto."_ She realized.

"Yeah, I'm sure your heart is bleeding." she sassed back at him angrily. She finally took in her surroundings,

"Where are we?" she demanded eyes narrowing at his back.

"Statue of Liberty. Magnificent, isn't she?" he said in response while smiling at her.

"I first saw her in 1949. America was going to be the land of tolerance. Peace." He reminisced.

"Are you going to kill me?" Marie asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes." He admitted.

"Why?"

His eyes hardened as he looked at her "Because there is no land of tolerance. There is no peace. Not here, or anywhere else." He walked over to her and she shrunk back not wanting to be near him.

"It's funny you know." She said as he stares at her.

"What is child?" he asked.

"You're all the first mutants I meet, and you try to kill me, not the humans. And this was before I even knew what a mutant was and that I was one too." She says angrily.

His eyes reveal nothing. "I'm sorry it had to be like this. You would have been a great homo superior. This is what's wrong with the world. They try to hide us away as if we are a dirty secret." He shook his head.

"But do not fret. Your death will be a honorable one."

He went on explaining how he would transfer his powers to her, forcing the machine into action.

It would release a pulse with a special gas, wide enough to cover the entire state of New York that would forcefully activate the x-gene in the homo sapiens.

"You're a coward." She said and Magneto fumed "No, even worse. You're a hypocritical coward. You talk so much about you cause but in the end you can't even turn martyr for your own ideologies and beliefs. All because you're scared of dying in vain and being forgotten. You're a pathetic, demented old man." She spat out and he smacked her harshly.

Sabretooth growled at her "Watch your pretty little mouth girly." he grunted out as he advanced on her. The gross guy looked on smirking evilly.

Magneto lifted his hand and Sabretooth stopped and growled angrily, before walking back to his spot next the smelly guy.

"Be that as it may. It is time." He said. Marie fought back a smirk.

If he wanted her to use her powers on him she gladly would. He clearly didn't expect her to be able to control them.

Magneto walked over to her and while Sabretooth followed his lead.

Sabretooth grabbed her wrists, careful to only grip where her sleeves covered, before forcing her hands on the metal rail that connected the machines.

Magneto slipped off his own gloves. He placed his hands on her hands waiting for the painful pull of her powers.

Nothing happened.

Or at least that was what he believed. Marie on the other hand felt his psyche entering her mind like a constant waterfall.

She struggled, ripping it apart before too much formed into a solid consciousness, like Cody's.

When he removed his hands from she breathed out a heavy breath as a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead.

She could feel the light humm of the metal around them as his powers, barely there, started filling her body.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Magneto exclaimed angrily. "Why isn't it working? How are you controlling it?" he demanded.

She grinned "It's normal for men your age to experience bodily problems during stressed situations. No need to be embarrassed." she openly mocked him.

A loud alarm sounding through the statue alerted them to outsiders.

Magneto nodded to Sabretooth and the smelling guy. They left immediately.

Magneto once again grabbed her face and Marie let her control of her powers go completely. This time the pain shocked and paralyzed him.

Marie waited for the man to collapse onto the floor before ripping apart his psyche. Except he didn't collapse as she expected. Marie started to panic. He was beginning to solidify in her mind. She struggled against her cuffs, but they didn't budge.

The machine started whirring. _"Why isn't he collapsing?!" s_ he thought horrified.

A great white light enveloped the two and Marie screamed. It felt like an eternity had passed inside the dome of light.

Before she could register what was going on, an arrow with a cylinder top crashed at their feet. An explosion ripped Marie and Magneto from each other, and the white dome of light disappeared.

The next thing Marie saw as she lay on her back staring up in shock, were the three worried faces of Clint, Natasha and Steve.

They were all crouching over her looking concerned.

She tried to get up but Steve pushed her back down as pain ripped through her body - she screamed.

"Marie look at me," Steve said trying put her attention on me "Don't look down. Look at me, everything's gonna be okay." He tried to reassure her, but Marie looked down and saw a great metal piece protruding from her stomach. _"Ow."_

She started gasping and breathing erratically panicking.

"Marie!" Steve yelled at her. He said something to Natasha she didn't hear and Natasha responded. Clint was trying to stop her from bleeding out. Natasha yelled something into her com.

"Is it Fury?" She asked weakly. They all looked at her, and Natasha nodded. "Tell him... " She choked heavily and gasped painfully "Tell him I'm asking permission." They looked at her questioningly but Natasha relayed the words.

There was moment of silence from both sides, until Natasha relayed Fury's answer. "Permission granted." The redhead said simply.

Marie starting shaking from the cold that had seeped into her bones.

She turned to Steve. "Do you trust..me.." She choked out mouth slowly filling with blood. He nodded. She placed her hand in his bare one. "Pull it out." she said looking at them.

They shook their heads "It'll kill you." Clint said.

"No it won't. Trust me…. please." She pleaded. They all shared a look before nodding. Clint was about to pull it out "Wait!" she choked and Clint stopped concerned.

She looked at Steve "I might hurt you, if it becomes too much let go of my hand." she aid seriously.

He only clenched her hand tighter.

She nodded at Clint, he pulled it out and Marie used her powers on Steve.

Steve felt extremely exhausted but they all watched in morbid curiosity as the large wound starting knitting itself together to half the size it was.

Marie ripped her hand from Steve's. "What are you doing, you're not healed!" He exclaimed angrily as the heavy feeling of exhaust disappeared.

"It's enough until I can get to the medical…. I'm not gonna hurt you any more than necessary." She said already looking healthier, though she still had a big hole in her stomach.

Steve gripped her hand angrily. "Do it." He said. "But," Marie tried to argue "That's an order!" He nearly yelled at her.

The exhausting feeling returned but Steve ignored it.

The wound grew to the size of a nickel before Steve started to feel sick. Again Marie removed her hand from his. He was about to argue with her, but she shook her head at him.

Natasha helped Steve to his feet as he felt light headed and swayed slightly. Clint had Marie lean on him. He looked back to see Magneto missing. _"Hopefully dead."_ He thought angrily.

No one spoke the entire way back.

Marie had grabbed the first aid box from the quinjet and cleaned up her wound before bandaging it. She didn't look anyone in the eyes. Not even when Steve placed a blanket around her shoulders to warm her up. She only muttered a thanks.

He left her in the back while spoke with Clint and Natasha. _"There's no way I'll get out of telling them… They're gonna know I'm a monster."_ She thought worried _"Clint and Natasha will hate me for it… They'll hate knowing that with the touch of a finger I would know their every secret if I wanted to… And they wouldn't know if I'd done it. I don't want them to live with that uncertainty, and I don't want to live with their mistrust either..."_

The quinjet landed as it was only a short trip to base. Steve smiled at her sadly and helped her walk to the medical wing with Clint and Natasha hot on their heels. _"Steve…"_ she thought looking up at him sadly. _"Sweet, kind and loving Steve... "_ Her heart clenched when she thought about him, what his reaction would be to the truth. _"That I was a monster since childhood… He might forgive me for keeping my powers a secret, even he would understand that, but killing an innocent child... He would never forgive me for that…"_

* * *

Fury and Coulson were already there waiting for them in medical.

The only thing that brought Marie any comfort in the situation were Magneto's powers. The entire helicarrier hummed around her, comforting her wherever she walked, as if it was a living being.

Steve helped her up on the bed, before Dr. Attwood started removing her bandaging, cleaning the now small wound and sewing it shut.

"So am I the only one dying to know what the hell happened up there tonight." Clint broke the silence looking at every occupant in the room.

Phil had already been briefed about the situation beforehand by Fury. He felt bad that she hadn't been able to confide in them about her situation.

And so Marie began telling her story and in one her deepest darkest secrets. She finished and a contemplative silence had taken hold of the atmosphere before Dr. Attwood had thrown them out of the medical wing, claiming they all needed to rest and could continue their talking the next day.

* * *

When Steve woke up the next morning, it had been from a fitful sleep. He got ready for the day before making his way down the medical wing.

He had a million questions that he needed answered, but when he got downstairs the bed that had been occupied just last night was empty.

Dr. Attwood saw him and explained that Marie had left to sleep in her own bed last night, seeing as her wounds were not deadly.

Steve's heart clenched and he rushed up to her room.

He opened the door not bothering to knock and saw his worst fear.

The room was laid completely bare.

There was nothing left, he checked the closet and the bathroom for any personal effect but there were none.

On her bed her S.H.I.E.L.D issued phone and laptop sat.

 _"Maybe she's not gone, maybe she's with Fury."_ He thought desperately.

He ran to Fury's office and let himself in. Clint and Natasha were already there staring down Fury.

"Please do come in." Fury deadpanned.

"As I was about to inform Barton and Romanoff here, and I know you're all here for the same reason, no I don't know about Dr. D'Ancanto's current whereabouts. Security has her leaving base at o-two-hundred."

"We have to find her." Steve said desperately.

Fury nodded "And I agree with you. However Barton is being shipped off to New Mexico with Phil, and Natasha is being assigned to babysit Stark in Malibu. You're on your own with this one." Fury said as he handed them each a file.

Natasha and Clint left to prepare for their missions, knowing they had no choice in the matter and that any protest would be ignored.

Steve looked at the manilla folder that said classified.

The first piece of paper said **Operation Rogue** with bold letters.

"Let me know if you need anything." Fury offered him and Steve started reading through the file. "In the mean time," Fury said and Steve looked up at him "bring me back the Rogue."

The end

* * *

:-D


End file.
